My Little Pink Pony

So I was in Texas and the year was 2003, I had come there for a major worship conference and the speaker for the session was Jeff Lewis. I remember his name because what he said during that session in the next 45 minutes would change me and my life forever. I was about to have a pivotal moment. What he would share in his short message would become a reality for me in a way that I never imagined.

He began to talk about getting focus in your life and he shared this story about his little daughter. Now Jeff had a 5 year old daughter who he had to get off to school every afternoon right after her lunch. They had a large family and a very large dining room table. She was seated at the end of the table with her lunch in front of her and her special toy which Jeff had purchased for her, a pink My Little Pony. Each time Jeff would come into the room his daughter would be playing and laughing with her pony and not eating her peanut butter sandwich for  lunch. Time was moving along quickly and yet she still had not made a dent in her meal which was untouched in front of her. Jeff would tell her to put the pony down and to please eat her lunch as they would need to get in the car and get to school in a short while. He would come into the room two more times to witness the same scenario happening and repeat the same words again but he was not getting any different response from this 5 year old that was captivated that by her favourite toy. She was galloping the toy along the edge of the table and was not mindful about her lunch or the fact that she would need to get to school soon. So Jeff decided to take a drastic action. He took the little pony and placed it at the far end of the table and told his daughter in a stern voice that when and only when she had finished her lunch could she have her pony back. Well needless to say she quickly became focused and gobbled her lunch down in record time and swiftly grabbed her pony from the far end of the table and skipped to the car in time to arrive to school right before the bell would ring.

He went on to share how so many of us have great difficulty focusing on what is of need and real importance because we are too preoccupied with the pink ponies in our lives. We need to put some distance between us and these ponies to focus our energy and efforts on the things that are of importance and requiring our immediate attention. It was the Fathers pleasure to not only provide pink ponies for us to play with but He had also allotted a special time for this after we have accomplished the assignment or task in front of us.

Wow ! This resonated with every fibre of my being and I began to vibrate this truth into existence. I was a person of great vision and also a multi-tasker with many different things going on all at once. This was my life, not to mention that I was often easily distracted and sometimes would get sidetracked with the latest thing and forget the assignment that was immediate or that had the highest priority. I knew I had to purpose in my heart to change this moving forward to be able to get to my destiny.  My Father had all the pleasures in the world awaiting me at the other end of the table but He had moments in time scheduled for me and I would not be on time if I continued with my play and not stay focused on my assignments.

 Well it would have been a great story if it had just ended there, but God had some more. I arrived home the following week from Texas and a friend had dropped off a bag of items that she had borrowed from me while I had been gone and while I was rummaging through the contents, there in the bottom of the bag  to my utter surprise was a pink My Little Pony. I was stunned, shocked and thought to myself that God just wanted to give me a reminder of the message. I called my girlfriend as I thought she had maybe put the toy in the bag by accident and that it belonged to one of her children and to my surprise after sharing my amazing connection story with her she had no clue about a Pink Pony and said that her children have never owned a Pink Pony. Now I was intrigued. The question became not how did the Pony get in the bag, but why did God want me to have this Pink Pony? Was it to be a reminder to me to stay focused and not to allow distractions to get me off focus? Or was it that I needed to put those pink My Little Ponies in perspective- He enjoyed giving me pleasures as well as keeping me in timing with His plans.

Well for ten years I have had this My Little Pony as my reminder and every time I have looked at it I realign my priorities and get refocused again. So two nights ago I was in a store and there on the shelf in front of me were five My Little Ponies (pink ones) for sale. Needless to say I bought all five as I felt that with the time and season I am entering into, that I needed to place a few more reminders that there is a time and a season for everything. There is a time to play and a time to focus on your assignment. I had to keep my eyes on the prize.

They are strategically placed in places in the home and office where I can visible see them and believe there is a deep message here not just for me but for others that will read this that are birthing a vision or a dream. Stay focused and keep your eyes on your lunch in front of you and there will be plenty of time for you to play with your pony and get to your destination on time.

Charmaine Hinds  December 2012©

My Camels Are Coming! My Camels Are Here!

In recent days I have heard the saying “The camels are coming, the camels are here” I even have visions of them coming my way. There is an excitement growing on my insides as I begin to unfold and understand what God is saying to me and my spirit is responding to.

I was recently in Texas at a conference and they were teaching about the Jewish calendar year we are in of 5773- Ayin Gimel (73). Gimel is the third letter of the Hebrew alphabet as well as the number 3, and originally pictured a camel. The name camel comes from the Arabic ǧml meaning "beauty".

While there we visited Glory of Zion Church, they have an altar display with camels laden down with treasure, spices, anointing oil and jewels.( see picture)

A few days a go I was reading my bible study and came upon Isaiah 60 and as I read verse 1-2 this is what it said.

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.

This part was familiar to me and it wasn’t until I read verse 5-6 that the full verse spoke loudly to me.
     Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy;
the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come.
Herds of camels will cover your land, young camels of Midian and Ephah.
And all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the Lord


I was so excited as I read how when we begin to arise and shine for God and let his glory rise upon us that something amazing happens- the riches of the nations will come to us laden on the backs of these beasts of burden.

Caravans were sent in different ways. Sometimes they would send some of the camel caravan ahead of the journey so when they would arrive at their appointed destination all of their provision would be there waiting. This is symbolical of our faith walk when God has given us a vision. Many of us wait for the resources to arrive before we will begin the journey but God has sent the provision ahead of you and when you arrive at the place that you have a need then it will be there waiting for you. You would gladly say my camels are here.

If you are traveling a journey along with camels they are going to be able to bring you to places of refreshing where you can fill up.  In their native lands, camels feel by far the presence of a fountain or river. They never forget the place where they have found water. This makes them awesome animals to travel in terrain that may be unfamiliar to you.         

Now if you were apart of a group that began the travel with the camel train and somehow arrived ahead of the caravan, or if you were living in a remote place and needed supplies or resources, then you would be waiting for the camels to arrive with the needed treasures. How excited you would become once you sighted the camels coming in the distance. Camels were known as desert ships as they carried heavy cargo of goods, spices, gold, riches and people, through sand storms, variation of temperatures differences, for many days and long distances. Throughout scripture donkeys and camels were used as symbols of transportation for riches and treasures.

An excellent example of camels carrying provision can be found in Genesis 24:10
Then the servant left, taking with him ten of his master’s camels loaded with all kinds of good things from his master. He set out for Aram Naharaim and made his way to the town of Nahor.

This unnamed servant was sent on a precious journey with a caravan of ten camels with the task of getting a bride for his master’s son. These unusual creatures were used on this long arduous journey through the desert to carry the riches that would pay the brides price.  It is noted that Rebekah the bride that would be chosen watered the ten camels at the well and her family even fed and made room for the camels to bed for the night and the servant would unload the riches off their backs that he carried to use as a dowry, jewellery of silver, jewellery of gold, and clothing that he gave to Rebekah and her family.
With no delay the next day Rebekah mounted one of the camels and set out to travel to her tomorrow and her new future. Now the camels were carrying another treasure as Abrahams servant headed back from his journey of truth to bring back the bride of the Lords choosing.

Moving along in  Genesis 24:63  we see Isaac awaiting His future.
He went out to the field one evening to meditate, and as he looked up, he saw camels approaching.

Here was the camels coming with Rebekah, a bride for Isaac and she gladly dismounts off the camel to meet her bridegroom.  God is bringing your provision to you, this can come in many ways, sometimes it will be a person that has the key for your future, or financial provision or the spiritual riches that you need to begin to walk in your destiny.  Look up, your camels are approaching.

Three other examples of camels spoke to me

I have always loved the story of Joseph, a caravan of camels came and took him down to Egypt when his brothers decided to sell him because of their jealousy. At the beginning of this scripture we might think that the camels were apart of the bad thing that happened to Joseph. Genesis 37:25
As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt.    But it would be that same group of camels that in actuality carried Joseph to his destiny and he would later declare that what the enemy meant for evil God had changed to good.  Where ever your camels take you just trust in the plans of God. He has a good plan for a hope and a future for you. Embrace the camels coming towards you.

Camels were also mentioned in regards to Queen of Sheba when she came to visit King Solomon.    

1 Kings 10:2, 2 Chronicles 9:1
Arriving at Jerusalem with a very great caravan—with camels carrying spices, large quantities of gold, and precious stones—she came to Solomon and talked with him about all that she had on her mind.

The wisdom and favour of God will cause people of influence to travel to reason with you.  To share what is on their hearts and to bless you with their resources.

1 Kings 10:10 Then she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold, spices in great quantity, and precious stones. There never again came such abundance of spices as the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon

My last story and one of the most impactful for me is the Magi (The wise men) who travelled a far distance from the East following the star to visit Jesus. They were most likely travelling by way of camels and had their provision and treasures of gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh 

Matthew 2:11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

These three gifts were presented to Jesus and had great significance. The gold a precious metal the standard gift for a King, it represented royalty and provision. The Frankincense was an incense and perfume for worship, this represented His ministry here on earth as the High Priest. And Myrrh, an anointing oil was used to embalm bodies of those who died, it would symbolize the way He would live and die and one of the main reasons He was here on the earth to be the sacrificially lamb that would take away the sins of the world.

These camels would carry on their backs to Jesus the Savior of the world the kings that would bear gifts of great symbolism of His ministry here on the earth, reminders of the reason for His true birth. Your camels that are here are bringing you gifts that are declaring to you of the destiny and purpose of who you are and the position you hold in Christ and the provision needed for your kingdom ministry

With all of this I hear very loudly… My camels are coming! The camels are here!

Charmaine Hinds November 2012 ©

Feast of Joy

Blessings Beloved,
We are going on a Joy Feast for the next 30 days and we want to invite you to please join us.

What is a Joy Feast you ask? Well it is not a fast but the exact opposite- everyday we will feast and be filled with the love, joy and peace of God. We will begin each day with a smile that makes your cheeks hurt, laugh every chance we get even in the face of adversity and circumstances that don't necessarily look good to us. We will find opportunities to make someone else laugh, tell a joke, tickle a friend and just be joyful and full of joy.

We will remember that the “Joy of the Lord” is our strength as we memorize and repeat as often as we can the scriptures on Joy! We will devour one scripture every day. We will repeat these scriptures as often as we can for the day. The great thing about this is that you can't have too much because it is a feast and not a fast.

But the twist is that as we fill ourselves up everyday there will be no room for pity, selfishness, sorrow, depression, over indulgence in worldly things, we will lose the craving for lust and want and greed, we will vomit up every word of gossip and slander. Forgiveness will begin to flow like a fountain until even bitterness will make us sick to your stomach. You must agree though to fast envy, strife, anger, malice, and anything else that steals your peace of mind and heart.
You will so overflow with His joy that it will touch you, your family, your neighbours, church members, co-workers, friends and loved ones. Now don’t even worry if there will be enough provision of His joy because just when you feel like your supply is running low- We will pray with you and send you some more for it is an never ending reservoir that flows deep.
If you have been in a season of grieving, mourning or sorrow, this feast is also for you. It will remove some of the ache you have in the pit of your stomach. Know this that He longs to feed you every nutrient you need so you would not be weak, but full of life and joy.

So if your ready to feast with us for 30 days, then come to the banquet. We are giving you 5 days to prepare yourself take this time to empty your pockets, cupboards, closets and storage units of any stashed away unhealthy substances you have been feeding off of, that you may have hidden away. Clean house and prepare to laugh uncontrollably in the face of the enemy, to enjoy the beautiful life you have been given, to be thankful for your many daily provisions and blessings.

Alright get ready to come to His table, the tablecloth has been laid, your place mat is ready and the menu has been prepared. Get your fork and spoon in hand - come hungry and prepare to Feast on Joy!!  www.thejoyfeast.wordpress.com
 

Forgiveness and the Lady Bug

A beautiful picture of forgiveness is depicted in the

story of the lady bug

The lady bug starts off with all black just like we are we are when we are born, we are dead in our sins Ephesians 2:1. No matter how hard we try or how good we become we can not change our state.

Then she receives the love of Jesus as a red heart is painted on her back- Forgiveness is the ultimate expression of love as Jesus comes, dies and sheds His blood for our sins so we can receive total forgiveness from our heavenly Father. This is grace as we do not deserve this but He does this for us for without it we can not be forgiven. Col. 1:14

Next we paint two white dots that represent the eyes to see and because we now have received this free gift of love and forgiveness for all of our sins we move from darkness to light and have revelation of what is right from wrong. We now know when we need to ask for forgiveness and when we need to forgive others if they have been wronged or sinned against us. Acts 26:18

Because of this there is now a defining line that we have drawn down the middle that separates her from the evil desires in her heart and in the world. This is the word of God that is shed abroad in our hearts that rightly divides the word of truth. It is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of our hearts. We now desire to have a heart like Him and are opposed to anything that is against Him. Hebrews 4:12

The beauty of this exchange is that it was accomplished when we first received the love of God and His act of forgiveness. And we then paint black dots to forever remind us that we will continue to make mistakes, to sin and be sinned against and will need to remember that if we don’t forgive others then we will not be forgiven. Matthew 6:12 and Matthew 18:35

Now that we have been freely forgiven and we want to continue to receive the freedom of daily forgiveness we must daily forgive those that have erred knowingly and unknowingly, wronged, sinned, repeatedly offended, hurt, deeply wounded, stabbed and maybe even have not forgiven us.

How many times you ask ? Matthew 18:21-35

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

21 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”

22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. 23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 27 Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

28 “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’30 And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. 31 So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. 32 Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ 34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.

35 “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses

Dancing in My Father’s House

As a small girl she danced with joy

With her Father at the beginning of every celebration

He needed not coax nor convince her

She laid her head on His chest at the slightest invitation

As a young woman she grew, she began to rebel

And soon her new found independence caused her to stray

From the comforts and security of a loving home and Father
And she left it behind the day she ran away

As the dreams of success quickly faded to dark
And the cruelty of reality soon set in
Pride caused her not to return home to her Father
She then made the choice instead to dance for men

She danced with passion and great skill for others
For her Father had taught her well
But the shame of what she had become had effects upon her
That only her soul could tell

Then the letters began to slowly arrive
She knew what each one would say
Yet she could never bear to read even one
So unopened she filed them all away

Pride had caused her not to return home

Now Shame was holding her there

For if her Father knew what dance she was dancing

Those letters would quickly cease to appear

She longed to make the long journey home

Yet she knew not where to begin

Her desire had turned from dancing for the world

To have one precious moment in her Father’s arms again

Then one day the letter arrived
Delivered some how by her own Father’s hand
This time she would open it up
Yet she just did not understand

It said “I know where you are and I know what you have been doing
It doesn’t change how I feel about you
I’m still your Father, you are still my child
All I have written in my letters are still true”

As she frantically opened all of the letters
Each one addressed to her name
She began to cry a mountain of tears
For each letter had just one question that was always the same

She barely made it home in time
For the celebration was just about to begin
But there her Father stood waiting for her...
Waiting for her to answer Him

She turned to Him “yes” she answered

“If the invitation is still open to me”

And so the two danced, Him holding her tight

Sweet music surrounding them in serenity

On the floor lay the letter with her name

And the Father’s simple request

“Will you come home and dance with me

lay your head upon my chest?”

“ He came near to the house and he heard music and dancing” Luke 15:25

C.Hinds/ © February 2002

The Chinook

The Chinook wind is a warm, drying wind blowing down from off of the Rocky Mountains in western Canada and the inland northwest of the United States.

The Chinook wind often moves at a high speed. It is most noticeable in winter, when its warm temperature contrasts so dramatically with the ambient cold air.

The Chinook has the reputation its name "Snow Eater" implies. The deadly-to-snow combination of high temperature and air rushing by at high speeds can literally remove a foot (30 cm) of snow in a few hours. And it may not just melt the snow but evaporate it as well, often all in one single process called sublimation, without leaving a liquid pool behind.

Now many people enter your life at different seasons, different times, for different reasons and make an impact. Some a very subtle impact that you barely even notice and then others shake your core and inner being and you know you will never be the same again.

She breezed in on a cold day in December and everyone around her was changed forever.

They weren’t sure of her name at first but after a few hours of her energy and warmth they all came to call her “Chinook”. She liked this name and what it stood for as she desired to cause supernatural unconventional change whenever she came down from her times in the mountains.

The mountains represented her secret place with God. She was a lover of the Most High God and loved to climb with Him. To go higher and higher with Him and see things from His perspective and breathe the air so clean and fresh till she was one with it. It was here that she always gained her speed and motion while allowing Him to breathe His breath on her and then with lightning speed she would descend off the mountain side with quick precision and destination in mind.

He had sent her to this group of people which had gathered together on the Southside. They all were in need of a fresh breeze, a warm wind, a change. But how would they handle the 360 degree He was offering them?

This group was prepared for it, they had been praying and crying out for it and now it had come. And in what seemed like a brief moment they were looking in a whole new direction. He had made all things new again. Renewed, refreshed, restored, rebuilt- all things new. They even looked different on the outside, they were clothed with new coverings. They now wore coverings of white and gold and silver to represent the purity and redemptive nature of the God that had sent them the “Chinook”, the warm wind to come and shift them.

They enjoyed times of intimacy and solitude in a holy place set apart just for them. They were repeatedly visited by heavenly beings that rejoiced with them and moved amongst them to confirm that He truly was “God with them”. Then He placed a covenant rainbow as a sign in their midst as a symbol of His promises to them and their loved ones. Gifts came down from the Father of lights who gives all good things. New relationships created, old ones strengthened and community established. Wow what excitement and a holy ghost party to celebrate!

Their winter season was briefly interrupted and the chill of the fresh fallen snow was a yesterday memory, a beautiful good memory that they would embrace as they waited for spring and new life to arrive as they participated in the circle of life. Or maybe just maybe the “Chinook” would come and visit them once more. Charmaine Hinds /October 18, 2012

John 3:8
The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

Psalm 78:26
He caused an east wind to blow in the heavens; And by His power He brought in the south wind.

Luke 12:55
And when you see the south wind blow, you say, ‘There will be hot weather’; and there is

Status Quo

In the Matrix one thing dominates
It’s not the truth of what you know
And no matter what you believe or choose to want
You better line up and follow the "Status quo"

Asleep or awake, conscious or maybe in
Another realm of possibilities
The dreamer within is only allowed to manifest
Within the bonds of decrees of what everyone else sees

They tell you how to think and act
Every thought to be a part of a whole
When really making everyone to be the same
Is the true goal of the Status Quo

Dare to explore, create and venture outside the factual
You may be crucified, set on fire
If you would dare to ever mention
Anything at all about the supernatural

Just assimilate all of your ideas and don’t try to be different
Just live your life within the system
You can’t make a difference there is only you
What ever you do don’t join the resistance

And when your life is over and your eulogy is read
Your tombstone will repeat the same
He lived trapped within the Matrix of this world
Living the best he could in the status quo game

Charmaine Hinds

“His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones.”

Jeremiah 19-21 and Isaiah 17

Reading through these three chapters there was a message that is not a very popular one, but still one we must learn to grasp and understand.

Beginning in chapter 19 we see that Jeremiah the prophet was given a word from the Lord to give to the leadership in a unique and visual way. This word of the Lord was not a soft, comforting word of encouragement, but the exact opposite as a word of rebuke and judgement. I am not sure about you but I have found that the body of Christ really enjoys the prophetic when it is soft, encouraging words of peace and love given in a manner that they have grown accustomed to. But they tend to struggle with another side of God that is Holy and that for the sake of the Kingdom and His laws that He has set into motion, where He must address the issues of the heart and the sin in our lives. Many times He will use unconventional methods to reach beyond our minds and to penetrate the spirit and heart.

As a prophet it is very difficult to bring a word of judgement, correction or rebuke, mainly because of the response that is usually given from this type of message from God. In Chapter 20 we see the leader Pashur lash out at the word given, by trying to punish the messenger. This lashing is taken very well by Jeremiah as he stays true to the word of the Lord that is “shut up in his heart and bones like a fire”

I love that even under persecution and ridicule and even having to face a request from King Zedekiah, that Jeremiah did not bow under the pressure but stayed true to Gods word for the Nation even though it wasn’t necessarily a soft word.

Prior to this Jeremiah has a moment of complaint and wrestling out his purpose and destiny. How can a person be so sure in sharing the words of God but then afterwards question his even being born and very purpose for existence. We are all human and these are the struggles that all believers face especially in the midst of trying situations.

We all may become unsure of who we are and why we are going through difficulties or seasons of persecution for our faith, but the one thing we must stay sure of is who He is and His word. We will declare like Jeremiah did in Chapter 20: 9.10 “But if I say, I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name, his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it indeed, I cannot”.  It is here at this place of obedience that God meets with us all.

Charmaine

Hineni-Isaiah 6

This is a reoccurring chapter in my study of the bible, having read this chapter at a minimum of 12-15 times a year. I am now becoming familiar with it but always discovering a new revelation through it.

This chapter speaks of a supernatural occurrence in the life of Isaiah at a specific time, "In the year King Uzziah died." It speaks of man realizing who and what he is in the light of God. It speaks of true repentance and intercession as we read in verse 5 " Woe to me for I am undone I am man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people with unclean lips, for my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts".
It then talks about the very nature and relationship of God, as He cleanses our sins and makes us clean by his actions then sends out the commission call " Whom shall I send? And who will go for Us?"

As a lover of words and the power of their meaning, this next part is most important to me. It is the Hebrew word "Hineni"
Hineni is translated in English "Here am I " but it does not mean in only a physical sense as in being present or a persons location. It's deeper and more powerful meaning is the total surrender of oneself no matter what the cost".
I recently just watched the release of a documentary film titled "Father of Lights" and saw Hineni in action. Through the simple obedience of modern day believers all over the world and their answer of Hineni, God and His power was showing up and supernatural occurrences were becoming natural responses. It was so powerful that my spirit cried out "Hineni" with all the other people watching.
I believe that at a certain stage in an adult life your biggest question is, What am I here for? What is my purpose? In total surrender to God you hear the call and you get ready to answer. There are two answers each with a different meaning depending on where you are in your journey. “Here I am” says I am present at the appointed place, please see me here. But the statement “Here am I” says I know I am the person you are looking for and I have wrestled out the consequences and the cost and I am totally available to accomplish whatever task you set before me, my heart is here as well, Hineni.
The rest of the chapter is God giving Isaiah the very powerful message he wants him to deliver to his people.
But what continues to resonate in my spirit and heart is the answer that Isaiah, David, Abraham, Esther, and many others have given to God, "Here am I".
Can you say it with me?
Hineni!

Charmaine Hinds

Psalms 122 - Jerusalem

This psalms is about giving thanks for being able to go to the House of the Lord. Wow how many of us are excited to be able to come into the presence of the Lord? Into His house and into His family.

Then it begins to talk about a subject that should be near and dear to each believer’s heart, Jerusalem. Jerusalem was known as the “City of Peace” and here the psalmist tells us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. As I read this today I thought about the possibility that Israel could go to war any day now.

There are events happening and decisions being made half way around the world that affect us believers in a major way and we have been commanded to pray. But it goes on to say that there is a blessing to those that love Jerusalem, those that will declare peace and prosperity to her. Believers and non-believers alike tend to pray for the things close to them. We tend to pray for the branch and forget the tree it has been grafted into. God blesses many things, certain people and peoples groups, specific nations, holy objects and even land. He has blessed Jerusalem to be the City of David, the City of Peace. I am so grateful for the political stance that our country of Canada has made with Israel. So please as we enter into some of the most Holy days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, I ask you to please agree with the holy scriptures and pray for SHALOM to be with Jerusalem and with the people of Israel.

Charmaine Hinds

Broken Glass

Broken glass can represents a few thing

The symbolism of broken glass means broken promises or shattered expectations.

Your feelings may be hurt or a situation may be turning into a crisis.

At the Jewish wedding feast to consummate the relationship they drink from a wine glass and then they smash the glass

The glass is broken to protect this marriage with the implied prayer: "As this glass shatters, so may your marriage never break." The promises made by the bride and groom, like the broken glass, are irrevocable. It reminds us that love, like glass, is fragile and must be protected.

Shattered glass symbolizes the fragility of our relationships and reminds us that we must treat our relationships with extra special care. It teaches us that in times of joy we must also realize life also brings sadness and sorrow.

 Recently at a conference in 2012 where I was teaching at, the host decided to purchase a thank you gift for me. God told her a specific store in Halifax to go to and one word- the color purple

Unknown to her purple is my favourite color and the color of royalty that I wear often to remind me of my position as the daughter of the King. She went into the store and saw a purple gem rock, amethyst  (which coincidentally was also my birthstone) and decided to purchase it. As she went to take the gemstone off of the shelf something unusual happened. The entire glass shelving and all the remaining stones on the shelves came crashing to the floor. As she stood there before the rubble in disbelief with the gemstone in her hand all she could think about was the thousands of dollars of damage that lay on the floor in a shattered pile of glass. Then quickly something else happened that she did not expect- the attendant at the store came over and reassured her not to worry about the damage as there must have been some imbalance in the shelving for that to happen. Relieved but still in a state of shock she purchased the beautiful rock and had it packaged and wrapped and walked out the doors of the shop. Wow!

After sharing this incredible story with a few people and pondering on its significance the Lord spoke to her about the following.

She received Rev 21:18-20 - Number 12 means leadership, government, perfection, completion and purple symbolizes priesthood.

Amethyst was used as the 12th and last foundation. Each foundation is a unique gem for the adornment in creating the promised and new city to replace the old one.
Out of the broken glass shelves she received the message of Gods grace.

As she presented me with this precious gift and shared this story and meaning to me I knew that the Lord was speaking about the situation and circumstances that had just recently been reconciled and was in the process of restoration with my husband, our marriage, ministry and family.

This broken glass which represented the state of our relationship was because of the imbalance in our marriage and symbolized the brokenness of all of the promises and shattered expectations. But due to the grace of God we were walking away without having to pay the price for the damage and instead we would be rewarded by the amethyst foundation stone which represented the call of God that was on our lives of leadership and priesthood. Not to mention that He would replace the old with the new. What a beautiful gift of Gods Grace over our lives.

 God gave me this song as a reminder of the journey

Broken Glass -Shattered dreams

Broken glass all on the floor
Dreams are shattered they are no more
I cant believe I am here
In this place

What can I get from all of this
More broken plans as I resist
If I surrender now
Will I receive His Grace

Yet all I see are tiny pieces
Small fragments as the pain increases
All the broken glass
As it is falling into space

Yet out of this something shall arise
A prophetic gift, a promised surprise
A treasure for our future
A hopeful prize

This foundation stone is oh so bright
The color purple sparkles against my eyes
Speaks of His wonder, majesty and glory
As it tells the world a beautiful story

 

Grace oh grace His amazing grace

That which I owed has now been paid

Grace has favoured me now I am released

Walking free into destiny

 

For there is no more broken glass

Begun to feel hope again at last

All regrets are now in the past

As we begin to embrace this brand new day

Those shattered dreams to return no more

Just a brand new path and wide open doors

Brushed and swept away up off the floor

Broken glass and shattered dreams are gone

Yes ,broken glass and shattered dreams have gone…

C.Hinds (c) 2012

Free to Go

Last month I was in court  for a ticket that I received a few months ago for failing to stop at a stop sign. The thing was I felt I was innocent and I had evidence and pictures to prove it.

Or at least I did before I left the house that morning. That morning I prayed and asked God to help me prove that I was innocent. Then I gathered my evidence of photos and emailed them to my Iphone right before leaving and got in my car to drive to the court house. Half way there I looked at my Iphone and realised that for some reason my evidence had not arrived to my phone and that it would be my word against the police officer that had accused me. Now to be honest I wasn't expecting to prove my innocence as I knew how the system works. But I did want a lesser sentence- I was willing to pay the fine of $130, but everyone knows that with demerit points you keep paying for a lot longer. So I really only wanted to have my sentence reduced and the 3 demerit points taken off. This was my plan but I was willing to plead not guilty if I had to and get a trial.

So I arrive at the court house with a peace about me as I walk in with about eighty other people into courtroom 3M to line up to see the crown attorney. As I stood before the crown attorney she finds my papers and gives me two options- One, plead not guilty and have a trial where if convicted I will pay a fine of $130-$1000 and lose 3 points or option two where I plead guilty to a lesser charge and don’t lose any points and pay the fine of $130.

Now option two sounded really good, it was all I was expecting considering knowing how the system works and everyone before me was striking deals to reduce their sentences.

But something in me said " I'll will plead not guilty and have a trial". As I walked to the back of the courtroom fear began to creep into me and I kept thinking what if I am found guilty then I lose everything. So I did a wise thing, I called for some counsel- as my husband answered the phone I gave him the scenario and asked what he thought I should do. He told me that I should go back and take option two as that was what I had planned to do originally. So I lined back up to change my plea and as I stood there- I heard " woman where is your accuser" I looked around and saw a few police officers that looked familiar to the man that accused me on that sunny day in January, but I couldn’t be sure. So I looked at my paper for the badge number and began to compare #3257 to all of the officers in the room. None of them matched but way at the front of the courtroom was one officer that I could not see his badge number-I couldn’t even see his face, could that be him? Well I wouldn’t know until I got to the front of the line. So I text Wayne to say that I didn’t think the police officer was there and he told me then to stay with my not guilty plea because then they would throw the case out. What could I do? What if it was the police officer at the front? Then I heard again "Woman where are your accusers?"

So finally I reach the front of the courtroom once again to speak to the crown attorney and right before I get there the police officer turns around and I see his badge is #4377, whew was I ever relieved. All fear left me. So I stood again before the crown attorney and asked her to please repeat my choices and as I do not see my accuser I repeat again “I plead not guilty” but this time with some assurance. Wow you would think the ordeal was over, but then I sat in that courtroom for two hours while they called fifty cases before mine and I watched as person after person either took a reduced sentence or had their case thrown out because their police officer was not present in the courtroom. Then I stood up as my name was called case number 21. Then as the crown attorney told the judge that my accuser was not present the judge did a very symbolically thing for me that day. She told me that because no one was there to accuse me that I was free to go. Wow, free to go. I left there with a deep message in my heart and felt I wanted to share it.

John 8: 7-10

So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.

There is someone who has paid the price for all of my mistakes. He has allowed me to be Free to Go. To go anywhere, free to be me, free to make mistakes, free from trying to prove my innocence, free from my guilt, Wow I am free.

Hope . Faith . Love

The party had just begun but she was already tired of all of the people and the celebration activities.
It was great to be around everyone but she needed just a moment of silence to catch her breath and to take in all that was happening. Everyone was here in honour of her grandmother who was 90 years old today. She saw so many faces that she hadn’t seen in while and her face hurt from smiling so hard. Truly she was happy to be in the midst of all these amazing people but her heart wasn’t in it, not today
She found an empty pathway down the hall, opened the door and snuck into the room. Then she let out the breath that she had been holding in and her shoulders loosened as she locked the door and lay down on the bed. She curled up in her favourite position holding her body closely as she grabbed her knees and tucked her head down in foetal position.
Then the tears began to flow. It was like a wellspring inside of her that she couldn’t turn off. She didn’t want to turn it off. It was hurting so badly on her insides but somehow as the tears flowed she felt herself letting go, just a little bit. Then it came. The voice she didn’t want to hear but couldn’t stop lately. It kept asking her questions but in a way that sounded like it was her very own voice. “Why me? What did I do to deserve this” “ am I not a good person?” “ how can this be happening”, with every question she felt the situation becoming more and more helpless. She instinctively put her hands over her ears as if doing so could stop the thoughts from invading her. But the thoughts were not coming from outside, now they were coming from within. She was wishing she could turn back the hands of time and do everything differently. But what could she do to change what the doctor’s report said to her. Then more questions came as doubt and blame began to settle in.

“If only I had gone to the doctors sooner and paid more attention to the signals my body was giving to me, maybe then I wouldn’t be facing this.” “Maybe I should have asked for more tests at my physical last year?”, “ I’m not ready to die yet” and finally the question she really wanted answered “ Doesn’t God love me? what have I done to deserve this?”

A sense and a feeling of hopelessness entered the room and settled on her like a blanket covering over her. She closed her eyes and decided to just sleep underneath this feeling as she was drained, tired and feeling unloved. Just a few minutes of rest and she would get up and join the people that had come to celebrate.

She had almost dozed off when she heard a thud at the window. It sounded like something had hit the window pane and had fallen. She got up and opened the screen , then slid the glass pane open. Looking down she saw a bird that had fallen onto the rose bush just outside the window. It was brightly coloured and very unusual looking. It almost looked tropical but the color of its wings were the most vivid forms of light. The bird was obviously injured from its recent collision with the clear glass. She was not an animal lover, didn’t even like having pets, but her heart was huge and she couldn’t leave the injured bird there to die or even worse be found by an unknown predator. She grabbed the table covering off of the dresser and scooped up the lifeless looking bird into her hands and the moment she did this the most bizarre thing began to happen. Colors of light started shooting everywhere, they were so bright and brilliant that everything became blurry around her and she became dizzy and started falling backwards. She felt the sensation of falling backwards but again this was weird because she never hit the ground, she just kept falling. As she opened her eyes she realized she wasn’t falling at all but that she was floating. Her body had become light and as she looked down at herself she saw that she was covered with bright coloured feathers, the same feathers that were on the fallen bird. The bird? Where was the bird? Where was she?

She was no longer in the room and she no longer felt all the same emotions and feelings that she had a minute ago. Her eyesight was becoming clearer and she could see past all the colours now and there just a short distance from her head was the bird flying just above her. Flying? A minute ago this bird was lifeless and injured, now it seemed healthy, alive and vibrant. But where was she? What had just happened?

The bird began singing the most beautiful heavenly song. That was the only way to describe it. And as it sang her heart began to beat rapidly. With every beat she could understand the words that were being sung.

“ Hope is my name, Hope is my name,
And I have been sent to you this very day.
Nothing could stop me, or get in my way
For heaven has heard you, the moment you prayed.”

The sounds that filled her being now caused the coloured feathers that were around her body to begin to float together creating a sort of canopy around her and the bird she now knew as “Hope”.
Then she heard a majestic booming voice say these words “ Faith is the substance of things hoped for The evidence of things not seen” then she heard “Without hope there is no faith”

In an instant she remembered her prayer to God. It was right after the doctor visit as she sat in the car trying to put together the words that had just been spoken to her. She didn’t know what else to do but she remembered what her grandmother had taught her all those years. So she bowed her head and said a prayer to God to please help her to have faith.

Faith? What was she really asking for? Faith for what? To believe that she could be healed ? To believe that God really loved her and that He didn’t want her to die? Faith to remove this awful death sentence that had been placed over her life? Faith for a miracle? Yes she wanted faith to believe all of these things.

The bird began to sing again, or maybe Hope had never stopped singing but she was tuning in again to understand the words being sung.

“Hope in the colors of spring,
Hope in the joy that I bring,
Hope when you cant see anything
Hope is the song that I sing”

There was something special in the words in those lyrics that spoke to her about new life and creation. It brought revelation and understanding beyond what her natural mind could comprehend. She knew that in order to see the things the way they truly were that she would have to grab a hold of this gift of Hope. She reached out and for the second time she put her hands delicately around this fluttering creature that she dared not to call a bird.

As her hands grabbed a hold of “Hope” all the color that was imbedded in the wings of this supernatural creature was now coming into her hands and surrounding her body and filling her with the greatest feeling of knowing, a sense that everything was the way it should be. Instantly she knew that God was in control and that He loved her and had a plan for her life. Everything changed in that moment she now was the sum of the total and not the end of a beginning. Then she heard the bells ringing ,large church bells tolling as if they were chiming out the time. She closed her eyes and tried to focus as she didn’t want to let go of this new sensation that was tingling all over her body... hope. But the sound of the bells was jolting her and she began to float again.

Suddenly she opened her eyes and she was back in the room on the bed and the telephone was ringing, probably a guest calling for directions. She lay there for a brief moment wondering if what she had just experienced was nothing more than a simple day dream. As she sat up on the bed something floated out of her hand and instinctively she grabbed at it.
It was a feather, a beautiful multi coloured feather laying in the palm of her right hand.

It answered all of her questions, but greater than that was how she now felt and what she now knew. She  knew that He who took care of the birds of the air, loved and valued her so much and she could trust Him to take care of her too.

With that she jumped up off the bed, took a tissue and wiped her face, breathed in a deep breath and as she unlocked the door she purposed in her heart to go back to the festivities and to celebrate today with Hope, Love, and Faith.

Charmaine Hinds September 2012

Esther 8-10 If it pleases the King…

As a believer that celebrates all the feasts of the Lord, I particularly love Purim. As with all of the feast times, the story of Esther is retold to bring to remembrance the great victory for the Jewish people. As we normally celebrate with Messianic Jews (Jewish believers in Yeshua- Jesus as the Messiah) they always relate this story to our relationship with the King of kings, Yeshua and Haman as the enemy Satan.

Chapter eight finds Esther again in great humility, again taking no regard for her own life, not exalting herself as the queen but desiring to find favour with the king. She repeats this statement numerous times “If it pleases the king…” and every thing else hinges on these five words that she continues to use when requesting anything from the one who has already told her that he will give her up to half of his kingdom. Again the king extends his royal sceptre, his rod of authority and gracious acceptance to Esther. If we as the royal priesthood would follow this example and understand that the grace we have been given is due to the favour of God and that our greatest desire should be to find out what pleases the King.

Esther is not only humble, she is also very wise and understands the rules of the kingdom. She has been taught well by her mentor and Uncle, Mordecai about what must be done to reverse the outcome of Haman’s hatred towards the Jews and his evil plot to annihilate them. Decrees and laws written in the kings’ name and endorsed by the king are irreversible once they have been set in motion and declared. Now the enemy longs to set into motion curses and evil plots, temptations and even death and destruction for the people of God. But just as Esther understood that another decree endorsed by the king could override the first, so must we as believers understand that what has been written in the word of God are holy decrees and declarations that overrides and counterattacks every curse, scheme, and plot of the enemy against our lives.

So at Esther’s request Mordecai is given permission to send the king’s edict granting the Jews in every city the right to assemble and protect themselves; to destroy, kill and annihilate the armed men of any nationality or province who might attack them and their women and children, and to plunder the property of their enemies.

The following two chapters tell of how this is accomplished and the great victory that occurs as they kill those considered to be the enemies of Gods people. Very specifically are named the ten sons of Haman, the next generation that would rise up in years to come. As believers we must begin to hate the enemy and to destroy every plot not only against us but against the people of God. We must break the curses that would affect the generations that come after us. This pleases the King and causes a time of celebration to be established.

I desire to be known as a believer that has humbled herself before God, not caring about her own life, but desiring to find out the will of God and what pleases the King and to come boldly before His throne of grace to declare His decrees to be established. To have His Mercy and Grace extended unto me as I am given power and authority over the enemies of Gods people, to reverse every curse, break every chain, set the captives free and to establish the future Kingdom here on earth. How about you?

"Charmaine Rose"

In this world that is so performance driven and based on a winner mentality

where the best person gets the highest award. We can some times let people who are the best at what they do because they have the money and the opportunities given to them in life to make their dreams happen, become the heroes of this world. Well this flower right here is called the “Charmaine Rose” and here is the story of why it blooms.

A very dear friend of mine when she was going through a hardship a few years ago the Lord showed her a prophetic rose garden, it was a symbol of hope for her situation. This year is her third season of growing her prophetic garden, each rose is named after a woman that she has walked with spiritually. She gives hand cut blooms to women as a ministry of hope for their situations or just to make them feel like a lady.

This year she planted Charmaine-Rose , it has a purple tinge to it, as this color is very symbolical to me. When she sent me this picture and told me that it is growing in her garden and that it is teaming with life, fragrant with many buds and four beautiful blooms – my heart was so overwhelmed.

I know that this may seem like nothing to the average person but I felt like I had been given the most prestigious award and the highest honour that one can attain in this lifetime. This rose was as symbolically to me as a gold medal is to an Olympic athlete or the Pulitzer prize is to the winner. It speaks of love, life and hope and the many buds that will bloom will be given to women of all walks of life to encourage them along their prophetic journey.

We all want to be acknowledged in life and my friend may never truly know how much she has done by bestowing this rose bush with my name attached to it to grow each year and to blossom and bloom and touch other women’s lives with hope and beauty, for this is a symbol to me of what Jesus has called me to do in my very own life- to be a Charmaine Rose.

So this is my eternal thank you to my blessed friend Rhonda. Just know this if I had a green thumb or even a garden I would return the favour because the fragrance of your life keeps spilling over onto mine. You are one my heroes.

Charmaine Hinds 2012

Nehemiah 11-13 Bible study

Chapter 11 and 12 of Nehemiah reads very much like a family tree. It is giving a record of the names and location and a few personal details of the people living inside Jerusalem and outside Jerusalem during the time of the wall being rebuilt. At Chapter 12: 27 we get some inside information in regards to the dedication of the wall- I loved this section as it spoke about a thanksgiving choir. Wow how many times have we been thankful enough unto God to bring out the thanksgiving choir? This was a group of singers and musicians that sung nothing but thanks to God for His goodness and grace, mercy and love.

Chapter 13 is the section that most intrigued me. It struck a cord in me as I have been in the process of rebuilding some walls of my own. Spiritual walls of safety and protection and trust are very important and whenever there has been a breach or breakdown there is a process to rebuilding. This sections deals with the fortifying of the walls after you have rebuilt or repaired it. You must make sure that you not only keep the enemy out but you must rid the enemy from within. Nehemiah was away for a time and when he returned there were a few things not in order. For one Tobiah (an enemy) had moved into the temple and Nehemiah promptly evicted him and cleaned out the room he had had his possessions in and rededicated that space to God. He gave wages back to the priests so they did not have to go to work to make a living. He took action and dealt with the practice of working on the Sabbath day by closing and guarding the gates- so that those breaking the rules would stop. And finally he dealt with those that had married pagan women of other cultures which was strictly forbidden. They were raising a generation that was more pagan and that did not follow the laws of God.

We must make sure that every place in our lives does not give a small space for the enemy to dwell. We need to kick him out and rededicate that place in our lives to God. Some times due to financial need we the priests of God are too busy working in the fields to tend to the house of God and to perform the duties of the priests of the Lord. He is our first priority and all other things come after Him. He will take care of us. There is also sacred time that belongs to the Lord and many of us have been too busy investing in the things of the world and this has caused many of us to sleep outside of the walls on occasion. We must guard these gates and understand the ramifications of not keeping holy what God calls holy. All of these things have one root in common, those that are married to the world, the secular or pagans are drawn away from the things of God. They will not reproduce seed after their own kind. We must be willing to root out worldly ways that have become established in our lives. We need to reject carnal compromises and refuse evil alliances.

It is not good enough to just rebuild the wall we must make sure to fortify it from the inside out.

Charmaine Hinds

A Kiss on My Forehead

One morning as I spent time in the Lords presence

He kissed me softly on my forehead
Wow what a feeling!
I had received a kiss like no other I had ever had before
So soft and gentle He rested His lips on my forehead
What did this mean to me? what did it say?... Everything
With it it I heard Him say "I love you so much, you are my beloved, I bless your knowledge with my understanding, no one can replace you, you are special to me"
Nothing else could have communicated to me like that kiss on my forehead
It transferred so many things within a split second
With it He said to me
"Let me answer all of your questions with this one simple gesture
Rest your mind my daughter, my princess I have taken care of everything"
It screamed "I delight in you and take pleasure in your interest in me"

Possibly the only kiss for me that could have conveyed ultimate gentleness and pureness of intention, a kiss on my forehead symbolized love in its purest form, untainted. What an endearing gesture that moved my heart and surpassed my thinking

I was speechless , breathless, I didn’t and couldn’t define or explain it
This type of kiss liberated me from any constraints , it conveyed warmth, and compassion, understanding, it was loving and personal giving me a reassuring feeling. It made my heart swell with the love I felt for Him and then the tears flowed.
If you ever get a kiss like this it is a sweet, innocent way of saying He cares about you and you matter to Him. There is a gallant, protective meaning behind a forehead kiss - it is loving and respectful.

He does care deeply about you. That is the plain and simple truth. It is “I love you” planted on your forehead forever.

2 Chronicles 34-36

Today in reading these final chapters of 2 Chronicles there are overall messages that are very evident.

One of these that stands out for me is the saying that “as the leader goes so the people go”. There were kings that sought after God and followed the words of the Book of the Law and then there were kings that did evil in the sight of the Lord. Chronicles is a record of what happened to each of these kings and to the kingdom they were put in charge of.

Royalty is a family business and each successor or heir carries on the business from his father before him. But you can see at times that some heirs did not quite agree with the way that the previous business owner ran things. The kings I enjoyed the most were the ones like Josiah that chose not to run business as usual but took a look at the original business plan set out by the founding owner and gave the present business a whole overhaul. He threw out excess things that had been accumulated over the years, such as false gods and extra altars that were not necessary. He did some major renovations to certain structures and brought in a cleaning crew to take care of piles of junk that had been left in some very high places. Due to his excellent business sense and loyalty the company’s finances prospered and the company was in good standing in the community.

He reinstated practices that had been forgotten or overlooked that were central to the original way that the business was to be run. He also made sure that every employee and volunteer was doing their job correctly and were compensated accordingly. He threw great staff parties to celebrate the past victories that the company had accomplished. He sought good counsel and had many past company rules and policies re-established as he made every employee and volunteer listen to these. This was to ensure that the business would be run successfully in his absence or even his death. Because the sad truth is that all kings, good and evil do eventually die and when the crown is passed to the next successor it will now fall on their shoulders to keep the business prospering.

Unfortunately all that king Josiah did, though it pleased the Lord, it did not absolve the kingdom from the judgement that would be passed against them – there would be a hostile take over and a change in senior executive management. The heirs after king Josiah would continue to lead the company into bankruptcy by their evil deeds. They were sent many warnings, verbal and written by many messengers prior to their eviction notice. But due to their lack of response to an original decree over the company that can be found in 2 chronicles 7:14. The restoration of this company would not occur right away.

The beautiful thing about the word of the Lord is that to gain the fullness in understanding you can’t just read one place- you must put all the words of the Lord found in The Book together. And when we add the books of Kings and Jeremiah to 2 Chronicles we see and understand the fulfillment and redemptive plan that will begin with the proclamation of Cyrus king of Persia in Chapter 36 verse 23 where a new company is to be rebuilt and established.