The Gospel According To Natasha

The Gospel According To Natasha
(Written in 2005)
God delivers His Word in scripture through prophets, apostles, teachers, and other dedicated men and women.  The books of the Bible were usually addressed by the name of the individual who wrote the book.  Today as we continue to pursue God’s eternal purpose, we are still blessed by the ministry of the Word of God through His contemporary prophets, apostles, pastors, evangelists, and teachers.  Sometimes these men and women are the most unlikely and are found in obscure places in life.  

I recently had been praying for two days, asking the Holy Spirit to help me release, roll and repose every care of my life upon the Lord.  It sounds so easy and yet as I released everything to the Father, I would later find myself dealing with the care of situations front and center again and again (Can I get a witness?).  I soon sat in an accountability group of ministers that meet weekly to study and hear God’s voice.  I asked this group to join me in agreement that my prayer would soon become day to day reality.  I wanted to enter the “Sabbath Rest” that is promised by God.  One of the ministers began to pray and as soon as she did God began to speak to me in my spirit.  He said, “Take you cues from Natasha”.  Natasha is my granddaughter who was seven at that time.  (She is seventeen now.)

God was about to deliver to me the gospel according to her!  He pointed out to me our relationship of closeness and how it manifests when she comes to my house.  At the door, she greets and kisses me and proceeds to wrap her arms around me.  We can do that to Jesus by entering into His presence with worship and adoration.  We can literally wrap ourselves around Him in worship and will thus be drawn closer in fellowship. 

God also said that Natasha’s expectations are high because she has been to my house before and is always blessed with good things that she likes and positive experiences and attention.  Our expectations of God must be good, for He is a good God.  We are drawn closer when we expect God to perform His Word.  It is called FAITH.

Natasha has this practice that started when she was a toddler and has continued.  She goes to my bedroom, chooses a pair of my shoes and walks around in them while she is at my house.  How this spoke to me!  God expects us to walk in the shoes and footsteps where Jesus walked right here on earth.  He was our perfect example. We should not create our own footsteps. When we do what He did here on earth, we will have the same relationship that He had with the Father.  There can be no question of trust if we walk in the shoes of the Living Word, Who is Jesus Christ. 

Natasha always asks about helping me as I am preparing a meal, she seeks ways in which she can help me accomplish tasks that I am doing.  This is how we must draw near to God, with a heart to seek to accomplish His plan, His purpose, and His will.

Finally, Natasha has this practice and her grandmother is spared this one, but Granddaddy participates.  If he is stretched out in an easy chair, she jumps in it with him and throws her full body weight on him!  This is so delightful to her. 

When was the last time you cast the whole of yourself upon the Lord, knowing fully that He is able to bear you up regardless of the circumstances?   Do you cast the full weight of your care in delight upon Him?  Do you carry yourself and your care? 

I was humbly ministered to and given the gospel according to my sweet young granddaughter, Natasha.

 “…Allow the children to come to Me, and do not forbid or restrain them, for of such as these is the kingdom of heaven  composed.” (Matthew 19:14)
P. S.
The corporate anointing of prayer from other believers for my need brought about the release of the knowledge God wanted to place in my spirit.  I am casting the full body weight of my cares upon the Lord.  It gets easier every day!

Summary of the Gospel According to Natasha
·      Wrap yourself around Jesus in worship. Worship frees your mind.
·      Expect the good things from His Word to manifest in your life.
·      Walk in the footsteps of Jesus, read the gospels, see what Jesus did and do what He did.  Cultivate the relationship with Father God that Jesus has.  Do not order your own footsteps.
·      Be available to God for His purpose (Not only in word, but in deed).
·      Cast the full body weight of your cares upon the Lord in delight knowing everything will be alright through faith and trust and love.



Dr. Marsha Deveaux Johnson, www.livingjoyministries.com

New Year, Old Defeated Enemy

New Year,
Old (Defeated) Enemy


Make no mistake about it, for every person born into this world there is already in place a formidable enemy who wars for their soul (John 10:10, “The thief comes to kill, steal, destroy…).  There is a real enemy (Satan), who exists in a real world, in real time, strategically plotting the eternal defeat of every man, woman, boy, and girl. 

 And yes, it is OK to talk about Satan as long as we understand that what God says about him is truth and live our lives from that perspective.  These four scriptures will give you a biblical knowledge of his existence, state, and future:   Isaiah 14:12-18 (Fallen), Ezekiel Chapter 28 (Fallen), and Luke 10:18-19 (Fallen), Revelation 20:10 (Lake of Fire, final place of torment).

Before you came into this world, the enemy of God Almighty (Creator, Elohim) who is Satan (created fallen angel) spotted you.  Satan carved out a plan, circled your little wagon and marked you for his camp.  This sounds horrific.  It is more horrifying than imaginable if he gets you to follow through with his plan for your life.

Satan has vicious plans for lives dressed up in acceptable clothing that reeks with temptation, accusation and deceit.  The most diabolical of his plans are those where the victim chooses, implements, and manages their own defeat process.  This is despicable and yet it goes on every day in real time.

The values held by this world’s system are in direct opposition to the message of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ brings love, forgiveness, obedience, humility, peace, and self-denial. The system of the world promotes materialism, arrogance, greed, self interest, and hatred.

I must quickly get to the second clause in John 10:10, “…but I am come that they may have life and have it more abundant”!  These are the words of Jesus.   Jesus, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit will show you the eternal plan and blessing that is yours.   By simply repenting, receiving, and living the life of Jesus Christ, your eternity arrives to the plan that God has for you.  This plan has existed from before the foundation of the world (Jeremiah 29:11). How does the plan that God has for you operate?  What does it look like when implemented?  And how do you stick with God’s plan rather than Satan’s plan?

First of all, you must find out what the plan is and follow it.  The plan is clearly presented in the Bible, the inspired word of God. We are instructed in the book of James (1:22) not only to know the plan but to do the plan.  God’s word must start to “work” its way into our lifestyle until we look exactly like Jesus.

Many years ago God gave me a key to understanding the place of material things in my life.  He said “I created in you a certain capacity that can be filled with enjoyment of material (created) things.  He created all things for us to enjoy in the earth, but they cannot fill our entire being because we were created for His (God’s) fellowship and glory. 

The deception that can easily be made with material goods (created things) is that you can increase your capacity to enjoy them if you get bigger, better, more elaborate, and  more costly things.  This is never true and leads to insatiable greed and emptiness.  Paul speaks to us of “Contentment” (Hebrews 13:5).  I view contentment as filling the capacity created by God in you to enjoy earthly things (created things) and not trying futilely to increase that capacity. 

Your soul is limited to experience, knowledge, imagination, and emotions.  The soul is self-conscious and if left unattended seeks its pleasure here and now.  Ten months after purchasing the item you thought was “all that”, it is now ready for the Goodwill truck.   The soul wants and demands more and more if you do not allow God’s word to govern it, (“…take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” 2nd Corinthians 10:5).

Your human spirit, that communes with God has unlimited expansion, giving you awesome capacity to receive eternity right here on earth.  Continually:

Worship the Creator, not created things.

When self-will, self-attention, and self-importance are well on their way to dying to the need for created things, life gets easier.  By placing God the Creator and created things in their proper place the enemy has lost key tools to implement his plan for you. 

The focus then becomes what is God’s will, what is His way?  How do I live?  Good Questions!  Seek the presence of the Holy Spirit for guidance.  He is sent to do a job in your life.  Let Him guide, let Him lead, let Him impart truth and direction continually (John 14:16, Entire book of John).


Why "Hepzibah in Training?"

More than twenty five years ago I stood in a powerful praise and worship service. As I entered into worship weeping in the presence of the King, I heard the voice of Jesus in my spirit. He called me two names. The first name was Hephzibah and the second was Beulah. I was stunned and immediately sat down on the bench to ponder these two names. Neither of these names appeared flattering to me.



I left church and called my sister, a mighty warrior of God, and told her that God had called me two names. Her reply was “If God called me names; I needed to find out what they meant.” I searched scripture and found that the name Hephzibah means, “The Lord delights in her” and that Beulah meant, “Thy land is married (committed, spoken for, etc). Needless to say, I was delighted in the significance of these two names that my Savior has bestowed upon me. My goal and treasure in life is to fulfill the plan for my life on this side of Eternity and to train for the other side of Eternity.



I offer you the revelations, thoughts, and meditations that God imparts to me in this blog “Hepzibah In Training”.



I thank you for your comments.

Followers