"For God’s purpose through Jesus Christ is to deify the nature of men..."
I read this in a John G. Lake book that my wonderful Aunt and Uncle let me borrow. :) I thought the language was pretty striking -- not only here, but throughout much of the book. It got me thinking, is this true? Why is it true?
The Trinity spoke words of love and said, "Let Us make man in our own image" (Genesis 1:26). Adam and Eve were in the element of God, yet they forgot who they were and then blew it.
So also it has been written: "The first man Adam became into a living soul; the last Adam into a life-giving spirit." ~1 Corinthians 15:45
Jesus made up for what Adam lost. He overcompensated for it! He inhabits those who love Him and pull them up to an otherwise unapproachable God. God chose to make Himself available. He chose to open us up to His love.
Yes, one of God's purposes has been to "deify the nature of men" (in my opinion, at least). But the fruit of this truth does not lead us to self; it leads us to God! He's been so merciful. He's been so good. He's called us to this elevated life, not because of anything we've done, but because of His faithfulness (Romans 9:12).
Having ourselves been redeemed in nature means we can fellowship with God. It's all about Him, and He's all about us. Hopefully we're all about Him in response! Sometimes with great revelation comes the need for great thankfulness. We'll see. It's been an interesting and electrifiying book so far.
Showing posts with label God's Love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God's Love. Show all posts
Monday, February 29, 2016
Saturday, February 27, 2016
Gateway Drugs?
I've been hearing a lot about the supposed dangers of "gateway drugs" recently. Actually, gateway everything...gateway animals like chickens, gateway plants such as tomatoes, etc. Huh.
Recently we had some friends over and there was a discussion on this topic (drugs, not chickens). And they were saying that marijuana, or cannabis, is one of (several?) initial "gateway drugs" that would inevitably lead to worse things. I disagree, though that's not the major point here.
So, I got to thinking about it...what would qualify as a gateway drug? And which of these supposed drugs, if any, pushes us down the slipper slope to harder stuff like heroin, cocaine, or meth?
If we were to look at this question objectively, we'd see that cannabis wouldn't be the first "drug" we're exposed to. How far back do we really want to go? Back to the beginning?
For example, marijuana couldn't be the foremost gateway drug out there. Many people try alcohol and liquor before they try smoking weed. So, do we want to say that vodka or beer or wine inevitably leads to "worse" stuff? Objectively, we need to go back further.
Let's stereotype caffeine as the first gateway drug out there -- that is, the first inherently addictive substance that many people get into. Coffee? Is coffee the problem? Probably not, as kids typically spend years drinking soda before they get hooked on coffee. So, is caffeine the problem? Or is it the HFCS or artificial colors in soda? We might be led to suspect that soda is the problem. No, actually, it's probably the sugar. Actually, it's probably the MSG that's in all your kid's favorite snacks.
We could take this whole line of thinking way back. Maybe the pleasure babies get as they drink their Mother's breast milk is the problem. Maybe that initial endorphin trigger sets up these babies to be dependent on mind altering "drugs" for the rest of their life. Is that really how it works?
Can you see where the projection of this faulty mindset of criminalizing natural substances like beer or cannabis leads us? It's an attack both on the gifts of God and the way He intentionally programmed humanity. Many Christians are stuck in a Greek-oriented philosophy that stemmed from guys like Plato and Aristotle -- not from Messiah or the Scriptures. Many Christians are under the enslaving illusion that the spiritual world is good and the natural world is bad. That's Gnosticism, not Christianity.
The point I'm trying to make is that there are "gateway drugs" everywhere. We're exposed to them at virtually all ages at virtually all points in our life. Cannabis is not the problem; it's no more at fault in creating heroin addictions than Cheetos or red wine.
Maybe, just maybe, people were designed for pleasure! Maybe pleasure is a good thing. Maybe the Creator of all these wonderful substances, whatever they are (with the exception of synthetic chemicals and drugs), created them to be a blessing to us and not a snare or perceived temptation. Maybe it's not the food or drink or herb or tincture that that goes into a person's body that's the problem (Matthew 15:11).
I like wine. I like hard root beer. I like these cute little tropical drinks Vanessa makes me with sparkling soda and mango vodka. But I'm not addicted to them (1 Cor. 6:12). They don't distract me from God. They actually inspire me to give thanks to God (1 Tim. 4:4)!
The thing that safeguards us is not the avoidance of this or that potentially addictive substance (Colossians 1:21). Messiah set you free from those kinds of rules, if you'll believe it.
The thing that keeps us away from any sort of addiction is an addiction and fixation with God. You were made for pleasure, emotional highs, ecstatic experiences and bliss (Hebrews 9:11). And all of these things flow out from Him. You can't really get bored with the Creator. And if you think you can, you're putting unscriptural limitations on Him!
"You make known to me the path of life; in your Presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore." ~Psalm 16:11
To have God is to know He has you (Song of Songs 6:3). To have a love for God is to have true pleasure. He is your only authentic gateway drug and the realm you must enter into (Matthew 7:13-14); once you taste Jesus, you can't go back (Psalm 34:8)(Ephesians 1:13)! You're free to love Him and let everything else flow out from that. To paraphrase St. Augustine:
"Love God and do whatever you please: for the soul trained in love to God will do nothing to offend the One who is Beloved."
Recently we had some friends over and there was a discussion on this topic (drugs, not chickens). And they were saying that marijuana, or cannabis, is one of (several?) initial "gateway drugs" that would inevitably lead to worse things. I disagree, though that's not the major point here.
So, I got to thinking about it...what would qualify as a gateway drug? And which of these supposed drugs, if any, pushes us down the slipper slope to harder stuff like heroin, cocaine, or meth?
If we were to look at this question objectively, we'd see that cannabis wouldn't be the first "drug" we're exposed to. How far back do we really want to go? Back to the beginning?
For example, marijuana couldn't be the foremost gateway drug out there. Many people try alcohol and liquor before they try smoking weed. So, do we want to say that vodka or beer or wine inevitably leads to "worse" stuff? Objectively, we need to go back further.
Let's stereotype caffeine as the first gateway drug out there -- that is, the first inherently addictive substance that many people get into. Coffee? Is coffee the problem? Probably not, as kids typically spend years drinking soda before they get hooked on coffee. So, is caffeine the problem? Or is it the HFCS or artificial colors in soda? We might be led to suspect that soda is the problem. No, actually, it's probably the sugar. Actually, it's probably the MSG that's in all your kid's favorite snacks.
We could take this whole line of thinking way back. Maybe the pleasure babies get as they drink their Mother's breast milk is the problem. Maybe that initial endorphin trigger sets up these babies to be dependent on mind altering "drugs" for the rest of their life. Is that really how it works?
Can you see where the projection of this faulty mindset of criminalizing natural substances like beer or cannabis leads us? It's an attack both on the gifts of God and the way He intentionally programmed humanity. Many Christians are stuck in a Greek-oriented philosophy that stemmed from guys like Plato and Aristotle -- not from Messiah or the Scriptures. Many Christians are under the enslaving illusion that the spiritual world is good and the natural world is bad. That's Gnosticism, not Christianity.
The point I'm trying to make is that there are "gateway drugs" everywhere. We're exposed to them at virtually all ages at virtually all points in our life. Cannabis is not the problem; it's no more at fault in creating heroin addictions than Cheetos or red wine.
Maybe, just maybe, people were designed for pleasure! Maybe pleasure is a good thing. Maybe the Creator of all these wonderful substances, whatever they are (with the exception of synthetic chemicals and drugs), created them to be a blessing to us and not a snare or perceived temptation. Maybe it's not the food or drink or herb or tincture that that goes into a person's body that's the problem (Matthew 15:11).
I like wine. I like hard root beer. I like these cute little tropical drinks Vanessa makes me with sparkling soda and mango vodka. But I'm not addicted to them (1 Cor. 6:12). They don't distract me from God. They actually inspire me to give thanks to God (1 Tim. 4:4)!
The thing that safeguards us is not the avoidance of this or that potentially addictive substance (Colossians 1:21). Messiah set you free from those kinds of rules, if you'll believe it.
The thing that keeps us away from any sort of addiction is an addiction and fixation with God. You were made for pleasure, emotional highs, ecstatic experiences and bliss (Hebrews 9:11). And all of these things flow out from Him. You can't really get bored with the Creator. And if you think you can, you're putting unscriptural limitations on Him!
"You make known to me the path of life; in your Presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore." ~Psalm 16:11
To have God is to know He has you (Song of Songs 6:3). To have a love for God is to have true pleasure. He is your only authentic gateway drug and the realm you must enter into (Matthew 7:13-14); once you taste Jesus, you can't go back (Psalm 34:8)(Ephesians 1:13)! You're free to love Him and let everything else flow out from that. To paraphrase St. Augustine:
"Love God and do whatever you please: for the soul trained in love to God will do nothing to offend the One who is Beloved."
Friday, February 19, 2016
Dream: The Glory of God or the Glory of man?
I had a dream last night where I was in a nice church...one of the many "seeker friendly" churches out there nowadays. (Just so you know, I love these kinds of places! Every time I've went to them, the Holy Spirit ministers to me. But I think God wants to purify our motives...)
So, back to this church, there was some sort of youth ministry going on, and everyone was singing and worshiping and acting all excited. Something wasn't quite right, though.
There was a hardness to the worship that caught me off guard. The musicians on stage were having fun -- and not necessarily in a good way. They were going through the motions, trading out the worship of our Father for a show (2 Tim. 3:5). There was some egotism evident there. It was really sad. Vanessa and I were sitting up near the front, and I was watching these people, many of them my age, singing along with the band and just going through the motions, also.
This significance of all this was heightened because of how it contrasted what God was doing with me. I felt such Love; I felt so much of Yahweh's presence. I became pretty overwhelmed, and sorta just slumped over in my chair and kept checking out this scene. There was one teenage girl in particular that I felt bad for. I could tell that her heart just wasn't in it; though she was doing some stuff right, she was missing out on the power of the Spirit.
The rest of the teens in the church were much the same. I longed to tell them that it could be better. I longed to tell them that they were falling short of the party. I wanted to say, hey, God has a better way for you than this...but I just didn't have the words. Plus, I was plastered to my chair under the weight of His glory and probably couldn't have moved a muscle even if I wanted to. In retrospect, I think God put me into that symbolic scenario simply so I could observe
Sadly, this whole "let's go to church and not really love on God" mentality is something I've also seen played out in real life. It's tragic to see people so close but yet so far. People who sit there listening like they're watching a realllllyyy boring TV show or something. Their hearts have not been awakened -- a veil of sadness is still there (2 Cor. 3:14). They've never tried really seeking Him, and consequently have never realized that He's already been found (Proverbs 8:17).
Guys, God is fun! He's a wonderfully burning Love (Song of Songs); He's incredibly powerful. He's worthy of your fear (Psalms 119:120), He's worthy of your admiration and worship. There is an ecstasy of divine exchange that comes with loving Him (John 3:30).
"God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth." ~John 4:24
So, back to this church, there was some sort of youth ministry going on, and everyone was singing and worshiping and acting all excited. Something wasn't quite right, though.
There was a hardness to the worship that caught me off guard. The musicians on stage were having fun -- and not necessarily in a good way. They were going through the motions, trading out the worship of our Father for a show (2 Tim. 3:5). There was some egotism evident there. It was really sad. Vanessa and I were sitting up near the front, and I was watching these people, many of them my age, singing along with the band and just going through the motions, also.
This significance of all this was heightened because of how it contrasted what God was doing with me. I felt such Love; I felt so much of Yahweh's presence. I became pretty overwhelmed, and sorta just slumped over in my chair and kept checking out this scene. There was one teenage girl in particular that I felt bad for. I could tell that her heart just wasn't in it; though she was doing some stuff right, she was missing out on the power of the Spirit.
The rest of the teens in the church were much the same. I longed to tell them that it could be better. I longed to tell them that they were falling short of the party. I wanted to say, hey, God has a better way for you than this...but I just didn't have the words. Plus, I was plastered to my chair under the weight of His glory and probably couldn't have moved a muscle even if I wanted to. In retrospect, I think God put me into that symbolic scenario simply so I could observe
Sadly, this whole "let's go to church and not really love on God" mentality is something I've also seen played out in real life. It's tragic to see people so close but yet so far. People who sit there listening like they're watching a realllllyyy boring TV show or something. Their hearts have not been awakened -- a veil of sadness is still there (2 Cor. 3:14). They've never tried really seeking Him, and consequently have never realized that He's already been found (Proverbs 8:17).
Guys, God is fun! He's a wonderfully burning Love (Song of Songs); He's incredibly powerful. He's worthy of your fear (Psalms 119:120), He's worthy of your admiration and worship. There is an ecstasy of divine exchange that comes with loving Him (John 3:30).
"God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth." ~John 4:24
Sunday, February 14, 2016
My Valentine
My love for Vanessa grows all the times it seems -- just when I think admiration can't get any deeper, stronger, or sweeter, it does. She's awesome!!!
I'm realizing that my love for her, though, is only effective as an extension of my love for God. My love for her is only fulfilled if I can see God in her. Deep calls to deep (Psalms 42:7).
There is a greater love here, though:
"This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."
~1 John 4:10
I'm His valentine, before I'm hers. Isn't that interesting? I've been coming into a realization that every believer is the bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:25). And just today, a friend of mine told me about an interesting Christian book called "God's Wife".
I mess up often...so often. I think back to a recent situation and realize that I could've loved more; I could've cared more, I could've thought about good things more. I could've given my time for something that really mattered. But there is a willingness to forget that comes with forgiveness (Hebrews 8:12). Sometimes, it's time to move on. On to how our Heavenly Father unconditionally sees us...
"You are altogether beautiful, my darling; And there is no blemish in you."
~Song of Solomon 4:7
This is the true, whether we as believers really believe it or not. This is true, whether I fully experience it or not. This is true, in spite of my real and perceived flaws. This is a truth that compels us, by Love, to keep pressing ahead! God belongs to you, and you belong to Him. Happy Valentine's day!
I'm realizing that my love for her, though, is only effective as an extension of my love for God. My love for her is only fulfilled if I can see God in her. Deep calls to deep (Psalms 42:7).
There is a greater love here, though:
"This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."
~1 John 4:10
I'm His valentine, before I'm hers. Isn't that interesting? I've been coming into a realization that every believer is the bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:25). And just today, a friend of mine told me about an interesting Christian book called "God's Wife".
I mess up often...so often. I think back to a recent situation and realize that I could've loved more; I could've cared more, I could've thought about good things more. I could've given my time for something that really mattered. But there is a willingness to forget that comes with forgiveness (Hebrews 8:12). Sometimes, it's time to move on. On to how our Heavenly Father unconditionally sees us...
"You are altogether beautiful, my darling; And there is no blemish in you."
~Song of Solomon 4:7
This is the true, whether we as believers really believe it or not. This is true, whether I fully experience it or not. This is true, in spite of my real and perceived flaws. This is a truth that compels us, by Love, to keep pressing ahead! God belongs to you, and you belong to Him. Happy Valentine's day!
Monday, January 11, 2016
The Revelator: The Lion of Judah
And one of the elders says to me, "Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has overcome to open the scroll and its seven seals."
~Revelation 5:5
There's a reason that it was the Apostle John who was given the book of Revelation. John already understood the revelation of Love. He was able to be entrusted with bigger things, like this vision of Revelation, because the Law of Love had already been fulfilled in him.
"There was reclining on Jesus' bosom one of His disciples, whom Yahshua loved."
~John 13:23
John got it. There's a reason why he always referred to himself as "the one Jesus loved". Ever think about that? I always thought it was kind of self-serving for John to title himself that.
Surely, all the disciples loved Yahshua. Yet John was the one from among them that highlighted the Master's love, rather than his own. He understood one of the greatest revelations -- that God's love is bigger, that His love is purer, that His love came first (1 John 4:19). John was the one who Jesus loved because he recognized the truth in this. Now, Yahshua didn't love him more than any of the other disciples. Yet John was acquainted with His Master's heavy, lovely presence more than the rest. His namesake was only an accurate byproduct of that.
Anyways...John had the book of Revelation unlocked to him. He had it unlocked, for him. All he had to do was participate in the life of the Spirit (Rev. 1:10). Yahshua took over from there.
There's a big concept to grasp here. In your own life, understand that being loved by God is greater than loving God. He's the all consuming fire; you're the one who has to be consumed (Heb. 12:29). You're job is more passive than you might think.
Let the Lion of Judah do the heavy lifting. He's the One worthy to open the scroll. He did it for John, He'll do it for you! Don't try to go randomly digging for understanding on your own. Just trust for it, and rely on your Father to bring it forth. The only thing for you to understand is that it's not your efforts that ultimately count. It's what He's done -- it's His Life, it's His battle (2 Chronicles 20:15).
Our only work required is to trust. There's a humility and reverence here (Proverbs 9:10); that's the whole point! He's your representative; He's the One who opens the whole mystery of Heaven up.
~Revelation 5:5
There's a reason that it was the Apostle John who was given the book of Revelation. John already understood the revelation of Love. He was able to be entrusted with bigger things, like this vision of Revelation, because the Law of Love had already been fulfilled in him.
"There was reclining on Jesus' bosom one of His disciples, whom Yahshua loved."
~John 13:23
John got it. There's a reason why he always referred to himself as "the one Jesus loved". Ever think about that? I always thought it was kind of self-serving for John to title himself that.
Surely, all the disciples loved Yahshua. Yet John was the one from among them that highlighted the Master's love, rather than his own. He understood one of the greatest revelations -- that God's love is bigger, that His love is purer, that His love came first (1 John 4:19). John was the one who Jesus loved because he recognized the truth in this. Now, Yahshua didn't love him more than any of the other disciples. Yet John was acquainted with His Master's heavy, lovely presence more than the rest. His namesake was only an accurate byproduct of that.
Anyways...John had the book of Revelation unlocked to him. He had it unlocked, for him. All he had to do was participate in the life of the Spirit (Rev. 1:10). Yahshua took over from there.
There's a big concept to grasp here. In your own life, understand that being loved by God is greater than loving God. He's the all consuming fire; you're the one who has to be consumed (Heb. 12:29). You're job is more passive than you might think.
Let the Lion of Judah do the heavy lifting. He's the One worthy to open the scroll. He did it for John, He'll do it for you! Don't try to go randomly digging for understanding on your own. Just trust for it, and rely on your Father to bring it forth. The only thing for you to understand is that it's not your efforts that ultimately count. It's what He's done -- it's His Life, it's His battle (2 Chronicles 20:15).
Our only work required is to trust. There's a humility and reverence here (Proverbs 9:10); that's the whole point! He's your representative; He's the One who opens the whole mystery of Heaven up.
Friday, January 1, 2016
Divine Nature
"Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires."
2 Peter 1:4
Yahweh has given us so many precious promises. Through what? Look back to the last verse--through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. We participate in the divine nature, we mystically become part of Him, by simply understanding just how great He is. By having the true knowledge of that. Knowledge really is power!
"Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, he gave the right to become children of God..."
Reception, belief, true knowledge--all these things go hand in hand. What it means to have a renewed mind (Ephesians 4:23) and realize just how well you already know Him! It's comforting to know that you are a daughter, or that you are a son.
God's promises give us the power of participation, the power of holy pleasure. There is a belonging in the family of God, in the nature of God. It's just as natural as could be. (1 Cor. 15:46 and context)
I've been praying for two major things for a while now. One, that I would feel the way my Heavenly Father feels about every situation, and two, that everything I say would be soaked in His Love. These are just a small facet of the divine nature.
See, when you are partaking of His promises, in His goodness, the temptations of the world "grow strangely dim". The burdens, the sorrows, the sin--all those things can be swallowed up (1 Cor. 15:54). They can lose their place in your awareness and in your mind.
You are free to be free, you are free to be constantly joyful, you are free to never worry again. You are free to be like Jesus was on the earth (1 John 4:17), always experiencing perfect love. In 2016, let's all tap into that.
2 Peter 1:4
Yahweh has given us so many precious promises. Through what? Look back to the last verse--through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. We participate in the divine nature, we mystically become part of Him, by simply understanding just how great He is. By having the true knowledge of that. Knowledge really is power!
"Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, he gave the right to become children of God..."
Reception, belief, true knowledge--all these things go hand in hand. What it means to have a renewed mind (Ephesians 4:23) and realize just how well you already know Him! It's comforting to know that you are a daughter, or that you are a son.
God's promises give us the power of participation, the power of holy pleasure. There is a belonging in the family of God, in the nature of God. It's just as natural as could be. (1 Cor. 15:46 and context)
I've been praying for two major things for a while now. One, that I would feel the way my Heavenly Father feels about every situation, and two, that everything I say would be soaked in His Love. These are just a small facet of the divine nature.
See, when you are partaking of His promises, in His goodness, the temptations of the world "grow strangely dim". The burdens, the sorrows, the sin--all those things can be swallowed up (1 Cor. 15:54). They can lose their place in your awareness and in your mind.
You are free to be free, you are free to be constantly joyful, you are free to never worry again. You are free to be like Jesus was on the earth (1 John 4:17), always experiencing perfect love. In 2016, let's all tap into that.
Sunday, August 30, 2015
In Yahweh's Presence is Fullness of Joy
"You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore." Psalm 16:11
From the moment we've first believed, we've became aware of the presence of the Lord. We're always in His presence. We're always belonging in Him. So why don't we always feel joyful?
It's because of our unbelief. See, Jesus needs to be real to us right now, in 2 minutes, in 2 hours, and in 2 days. He needs to be continually sanctified in our hearts (1 Peter 3:15)--continually adored.
Our work and our choice is to believe in Jesus (John 6:29).
Constant joy is real--it's not too good to be true! We as believers accept the gospel, so we should also accept every piece of 'good news' that flows from it.
We can't give ourselves God's joy, but we can yield to it. We can yield to the cleansing truth of the word. We can yield to the hope of glory. We can yield to the love of the Holy Spirit, and be joyful no matter what.
From the moment we've first believed, we've became aware of the presence of the Lord. We're always in His presence. We're always belonging in Him. So why don't we always feel joyful?
It's because of our unbelief. See, Jesus needs to be real to us right now, in 2 minutes, in 2 hours, and in 2 days. He needs to be continually sanctified in our hearts (1 Peter 3:15)--continually adored.
Our work and our choice is to believe in Jesus (John 6:29).
Constant joy is real--it's not too good to be true! We as believers accept the gospel, so we should also accept every piece of 'good news' that flows from it.
We can't give ourselves God's joy, but we can yield to it. We can yield to the cleansing truth of the word. We can yield to the hope of glory. We can yield to the love of the Holy Spirit, and be joyful no matter what.
Sunday, July 12, 2015
Will you Seek Him?
When things get hard, will you still seek God? Will you put off all those distractions and the "sin that so easily entangles"?
God wants us to always pray and never give up. God wants us to continue to search for Him, so that He may be found. He wants us to find Him!
Do we really, really trust God? Do we believe that He is who He says He is?
Let's forsake all, and just be with the Lord. Let's experience His power and flow in His love. Let's seek Him, because we believe He is good.
Let's make Jesus our hearts' delight, and look for Him even in those empty places. God said that He'll never leave you nor forsake you. Do you believe it? Will you yield to the Holy Spirit within you that wants you to believe it?
God wants us to always pray and never give up. God wants us to continue to search for Him, so that He may be found. He wants us to find Him!
Do we really, really trust God? Do we believe that He is who He says He is?
Let's forsake all, and just be with the Lord. Let's experience His power and flow in His love. Let's seek Him, because we believe He is good.
Let's make Jesus our hearts' delight, and look for Him even in those empty places. God said that He'll never leave you nor forsake you. Do you believe it? Will you yield to the Holy Spirit within you that wants you to believe it?
Thursday, July 9, 2015
Video Journal: Feet Healings in Springfield
The past two days have been awesome! We've been hanging out with some great people...and having a great time! God's been providing opportunities to display His love and His glory.
"And God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose." Hebrews 2:4
Our friend Rob shares his side of the story here:
God is good! It's a joy to see His power at work, and it's a joy to see His love change things.
Saturday, May 30, 2015
What Is Truth? It's Not Sin and Sickness
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6
What is truth? I feel that God wants us to know that Truth goes beyond our own feelings and experiences. Truth transcends what our present life is like, and it transcends what we think is possible.
What is truth? Jesus is Truth! And we need to remember that Jesus took captivity captive. We need to remember that He paid it ALL. Jesus made a way for us to escape the burdens of the world and be living in the heavenly realms.
What is truth? Truth is God's perspective--His perfect will. Truth is a higher vibration. Truth is a place that we can and should access--but only because Jesus is Lord, only because He is our mediator. Truth is not sin, and truth is not sickness.
No, f you are sick, you may feel it, you may be affected by it...and consequently, you may believe it. But ultimately, as a Christian, sickness is a lie. Remember that Jesus came to give us life-- it's the enemy that comes to steal, kill, and destroy. IF we are operating in truth, IF we are where God would have us, then we will be experiencing His Life. And if we are experiencing life, then we will be experiencing truth, and the truth will set us free.
It's time to put theory into practice. It's time to accept the truth. It's time to await it's manifestation. The manifestation will be health and freedom and deliverance from sin. The manifestation will be a closer walk with the Lord and a deeper experience of all of His benefits. The manifestation will be a realization that God is love, and that this love is the force of God.
If we are not seeing the truth in our lives, in our families, and in our situations, then it's time to pray. It's time to usher in the presence of the Holy Spirit and have him bring the Kingdom changes down. All we need to do is say the word--to speak the truth in love--and then God does the rest! When the presence of Jesus becomes greater than the presence of the world, then we will be able to walk in truth.
"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth." 3 John 1:4
What is truth? I feel that God wants us to know that Truth goes beyond our own feelings and experiences. Truth transcends what our present life is like, and it transcends what we think is possible.
What is truth? Jesus is Truth! And we need to remember that Jesus took captivity captive. We need to remember that He paid it ALL. Jesus made a way for us to escape the burdens of the world and be living in the heavenly realms.
What is truth? Truth is God's perspective--His perfect will. Truth is a higher vibration. Truth is a place that we can and should access--but only because Jesus is Lord, only because He is our mediator. Truth is not sin, and truth is not sickness.
No, f you are sick, you may feel it, you may be affected by it...and consequently, you may believe it. But ultimately, as a Christian, sickness is a lie. Remember that Jesus came to give us life-- it's the enemy that comes to steal, kill, and destroy. IF we are operating in truth, IF we are where God would have us, then we will be experiencing His Life. And if we are experiencing life, then we will be experiencing truth, and the truth will set us free.
It's time to put theory into practice. It's time to accept the truth. It's time to await it's manifestation. The manifestation will be health and freedom and deliverance from sin. The manifestation will be a closer walk with the Lord and a deeper experience of all of His benefits. The manifestation will be a realization that God is love, and that this love is the force of God.
If we are not seeing the truth in our lives, in our families, and in our situations, then it's time to pray. It's time to usher in the presence of the Holy Spirit and have him bring the Kingdom changes down. All we need to do is say the word--to speak the truth in love--and then God does the rest! When the presence of Jesus becomes greater than the presence of the world, then we will be able to walk in truth.
"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth." 3 John 1:4
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Word: Being Drawn Near
A few days ago the Lord said,
"Dine with Me, commune with Me, feast with Me...I will then draw you near. Then I will draw you in. Then I will magnify My Name in you."
And then He showed me a vision where I was walking along a pathway with Him. We were communing with each other, and facing each other, yet this was actually the fastest way to progress along the path. Don't look at the path ahead, look to Me--that's what He was saying. That's how you can move forward.
What it means to commune with the Lord, the Lord of Glory, the Lord who loves us so much. We draw near to Him, and then He draws others to us. And then we point them to Him! It's pretty simple.
Lord, draw us near today. Lord, wrap us up in your love today. Show us what it means to be clothed with the Lord Jesus! Show us what it means to have your name magnified in our lives. Show us how to be a living testimony to your love. Give us a Spirit of longing for you, so that we can draw in others for your sake. Amen!
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me." Revelation 3:20
"But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds." Psalm 73:28
Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; And let those who love Your salvation say continually, "Let God be magnified." Psalm 70:4
"Dine with Me, commune with Me, feast with Me...I will then draw you near. Then I will draw you in. Then I will magnify My Name in you."
And then He showed me a vision where I was walking along a pathway with Him. We were communing with each other, and facing each other, yet this was actually the fastest way to progress along the path. Don't look at the path ahead, look to Me--that's what He was saying. That's how you can move forward.
What it means to commune with the Lord, the Lord of Glory, the Lord who loves us so much. We draw near to Him, and then He draws others to us. And then we point them to Him! It's pretty simple.
Lord, draw us near today. Lord, wrap us up in your love today. Show us what it means to be clothed with the Lord Jesus! Show us what it means to have your name magnified in our lives. Show us how to be a living testimony to your love. Give us a Spirit of longing for you, so that we can draw in others for your sake. Amen!
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me." Revelation 3:20
"But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds." Psalm 73:28
Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; And let those who love Your salvation say continually, "Let God be magnified." Psalm 70:4
Monday, April 6, 2015
Unstopping those Wells
Last week I was doing street ministry, and ran into some difficulties. Nearly nobody wanted prayer, people seemed hardened or disinterested, and there were no healings. Things just weren't 'flowing' like I wanted them to. And because of all this I didn't feel rested in the Lord, and I found myself really struggling to do His work. The situations I found myself in just seemed against me.
The next morning, the Lord gave me a vision during my quiet time. There was a path I was on, a narrow, brilliant white path in front of me, and while walking along the path, I saw the Lord give tools that would unstop blockages--unstop spiritual 'wells' and allow a free flowing of the Holy Spirit and His healing power. I realized that among the waters of the Spirit, things had become stopped up and the power of communing had been cut off. I realized that God, in response and grace, was giving tools that would equip me to walk and operate unhindered in His will--walk in a state of rest where I could be attuned to Him. And I saw that the Spirit was making a way.
"The LORD will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring." Isaiah 58:11
The Lord's given me similar visions and similar messages before, So He spoke to me about this, and told me what to do. He told me how to respond, how to answer Him with a "yes!" He spoke to my heart and explained to me how to pray into His will. He gave the vision, and then told me how to walk into it, how to work with Him to see it come to pass.
"Today is the day, now go and lay hold of it; pray for the harvest fields.
I have commissioned you to unstop the healing wells.
I will send My Word and heal them...so stretch out your hand and decree. Stretch out your hand and minister My name. I will be with you in power and love."
So He showed me the process of equipping, and then told me how to carry it out. We need to hear (see) His will, pray for it, and then decree and declare it. And so that's what I did. And the Lord was so encouraging. I went out for ministry again, to the same place as the day before...but I was expectant. I felt God would back me. I felt He would make a way for things to flow. I felt that He would establish His will as I prayed and spoke it. And I felt that the Lord would be with me in power and love, just like He had said.
So, I got to the store and saw a younger guy with a cast and crutches. And I felt it wasn't quite time. After a little while, I caught him right as he was going out the door. I asked if I could pray for him, and praise God, he said yes! So I said a short prayer... I couldn't wait to see if he felt better! After two prayers, he was healed. This guy wasn't all that close to God, but his heart was softened. I asked him if he had a bible and he said no. And I was bummed that I didn't have one to give him.
I told him, "the best thing you can do is pray to Him. God loves you, and that's why He's healed you". And the guy was convicted--he said, "yeah....I will." He was surprised and softened, and I trust that he did begin praying to the Lord at that point. Praise God!
I did some more ministry after that...and things really flowed! I met so many other Christians and softened people, unlike the day before. It was awesome...the Lord gave rest, and allowed for so many divine alignments. I even talked with a lady who I knew from our ~40 person Church!
From this whole experience, God taught me so much. He showed me the importance of praying against spiritual hindrances, of praying into His will, by whatever the Spirit reveals. He demonstrated to me such a model--discern, pray, decree. He showed me how to be used in bringing down from Heaven His will.
Confirmed: A few days later, I saw a word on the Elijah list called, "The Pressure is Building! The Lord is Releasing Well Diggers". Glory to God! Below is an excerpt:
"There is a new breed of apostolic and prophetic leaders who have been raised up in this hour to tap into the wells and release the underground rivers. As I was processing this dream, I asked the Holy Spirit, "What do the underground rivers represent?" He quickly answered me and said, "These underground waters represent the deep works of the Spirit that have remained in the earth. No matter how far man's heart has drifted, the rivers are still in the earth waiting to be tapped and released."
I then saw regions of America that were once centers of the move of God but have grown so cold. Those regions have deep wells and underground waters that cannot be seen or sensed with the natural senses, yet they remain waiting to be tapped and released. The Father is bringing forth prophetic people in regions that can see beyond the natural to see the underground waters, the potential move of God. It is critical that the prophetic spirit is released within the Church to CALL FORTH this move!"
Let's pray, see, and decree! Let's pray for the harvest fields, let's see what He says, and then let's decree! Let's do our part to usher in another move of God.
"Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest."
Matthew 9:38
The next morning, the Lord gave me a vision during my quiet time. There was a path I was on, a narrow, brilliant white path in front of me, and while walking along the path, I saw the Lord give tools that would unstop blockages--unstop spiritual 'wells' and allow a free flowing of the Holy Spirit and His healing power. I realized that among the waters of the Spirit, things had become stopped up and the power of communing had been cut off. I realized that God, in response and grace, was giving tools that would equip me to walk and operate unhindered in His will--walk in a state of rest where I could be attuned to Him. And I saw that the Spirit was making a way.
"The LORD will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring." Isaiah 58:11
The Lord's given me similar visions and similar messages before, So He spoke to me about this, and told me what to do. He told me how to respond, how to answer Him with a "yes!" He spoke to my heart and explained to me how to pray into His will. He gave the vision, and then told me how to walk into it, how to work with Him to see it come to pass.
"Today is the day, now go and lay hold of it; pray for the harvest fields.
I have commissioned you to unstop the healing wells.
I will send My Word and heal them...so stretch out your hand and decree. Stretch out your hand and minister My name. I will be with you in power and love."
So He showed me the process of equipping, and then told me how to carry it out. We need to hear (see) His will, pray for it, and then decree and declare it. And so that's what I did. And the Lord was so encouraging. I went out for ministry again, to the same place as the day before...but I was expectant. I felt God would back me. I felt He would make a way for things to flow. I felt that He would establish His will as I prayed and spoke it. And I felt that the Lord would be with me in power and love, just like He had said.
So, I got to the store and saw a younger guy with a cast and crutches. And I felt it wasn't quite time. After a little while, I caught him right as he was going out the door. I asked if I could pray for him, and praise God, he said yes! So I said a short prayer... I couldn't wait to see if he felt better! After two prayers, he was healed. This guy wasn't all that close to God, but his heart was softened. I asked him if he had a bible and he said no. And I was bummed that I didn't have one to give him.
I told him, "the best thing you can do is pray to Him. God loves you, and that's why He's healed you". And the guy was convicted--he said, "yeah....I will." He was surprised and softened, and I trust that he did begin praying to the Lord at that point. Praise God!
I did some more ministry after that...and things really flowed! I met so many other Christians and softened people, unlike the day before. It was awesome...the Lord gave rest, and allowed for so many divine alignments. I even talked with a lady who I knew from our ~40 person Church!
From this whole experience, God taught me so much. He showed me the importance of praying against spiritual hindrances, of praying into His will, by whatever the Spirit reveals. He demonstrated to me such a model--discern, pray, decree. He showed me how to be used in bringing down from Heaven His will.
Confirmed: A few days later, I saw a word on the Elijah list called, "The Pressure is Building! The Lord is Releasing Well Diggers". Glory to God! Below is an excerpt:
"There is a new breed of apostolic and prophetic leaders who have been raised up in this hour to tap into the wells and release the underground rivers. As I was processing this dream, I asked the Holy Spirit, "What do the underground rivers represent?" He quickly answered me and said, "These underground waters represent the deep works of the Spirit that have remained in the earth. No matter how far man's heart has drifted, the rivers are still in the earth waiting to be tapped and released."
I then saw regions of America that were once centers of the move of God but have grown so cold. Those regions have deep wells and underground waters that cannot be seen or sensed with the natural senses, yet they remain waiting to be tapped and released. The Father is bringing forth prophetic people in regions that can see beyond the natural to see the underground waters, the potential move of God. It is critical that the prophetic spirit is released within the Church to CALL FORTH this move!"
Let's pray, see, and decree! Let's pray for the harvest fields, let's see what He says, and then let's decree! Let's do our part to usher in another move of God.
"Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest."
Matthew 9:38
Friday, April 3, 2015
What It Means To Be Long-suffering
"He was despised, and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and as one from whom men hide their face he was despised; and we esteemed him not.
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."
Isaiah 53:3-5
Jesus was long-suffering. He moved and lived and walked among the lost, and He felt their pain--He was acquainted with their pain! He felt the Father's heart towards the lost--He understood their hopelessness as sheep without a shepherd. (Matthew 9:36) Jesus groaned under the intensity of His love for creation, His longing for all of them to see redemption. In many way, it was a burden for Him.
"Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not its own, is not provoked, taketh not account of evil;
rejoiceth not in unrighteousness, but rejoiceth with the truth;
beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things."
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
We need to realize that there is a spiritual need to "suffereth long". That's what Jesus does, and that's what love does. We need to hurt for the hurting, die for the dying, and feel for the unfeeling. We need to long for the salvation of others. We need to bear their burdens--and be burdened by their problems. This long-suffering is what fulfills the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2).
"But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God."
So to continue on in this kind of love, we need to patiently endure. Endure in what? Endure in hope. Endure in Jesus, who is the hope of salvation, and the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27) We need to bear within us the only hope of the lost. We need to carry within us the long--suffering of Christ for others. We need to carry within us the unstifled passion of the Holy Spirit.
Are we bearing all things? Believing all things? Hoping all things? Enduring all things? If the answer to such questions is 'yes', then we have entered into a godly idealism. If yes, then we are fulfilling the law of Christ. And it will be painful! It can and will be painful to hope for others and believe for others what they cannot yet believe for themselves.
To see someone, and know they need Jesus, and to hope and pray and believe that they will find Him, that's long-suffering. We continue groaning on their behalf--we patiently endure their pain. We hope for their salvation; we hope for their redemption. We long to see just one come to know Him, to see just one come to see Him for who He really is. This is what ministry is all about--what life is all about! This is what it means to be love.
"For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse.
But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.
We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)"
Romans 8:19-25
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."
Isaiah 53:3-5
Jesus was long-suffering. He moved and lived and walked among the lost, and He felt their pain--He was acquainted with their pain! He felt the Father's heart towards the lost--He understood their hopelessness as sheep without a shepherd. (Matthew 9:36) Jesus groaned under the intensity of His love for creation, His longing for all of them to see redemption. In many way, it was a burden for Him.
"Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not its own, is not provoked, taketh not account of evil;
rejoiceth not in unrighteousness, but rejoiceth with the truth;
beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things."
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
We need to realize that there is a spiritual need to "suffereth long". That's what Jesus does, and that's what love does. We need to hurt for the hurting, die for the dying, and feel for the unfeeling. We need to long for the salvation of others. We need to bear their burdens--and be burdened by their problems. This long-suffering is what fulfills the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2).
"But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God."
So to continue on in this kind of love, we need to patiently endure. Endure in what? Endure in hope. Endure in Jesus, who is the hope of salvation, and the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27) We need to bear within us the only hope of the lost. We need to carry within us the long--suffering of Christ for others. We need to carry within us the unstifled passion of the Holy Spirit.
Are we bearing all things? Believing all things? Hoping all things? Enduring all things? If the answer to such questions is 'yes', then we have entered into a godly idealism. If yes, then we are fulfilling the law of Christ. And it will be painful! It can and will be painful to hope for others and believe for others what they cannot yet believe for themselves.
To see someone, and know they need Jesus, and to hope and pray and believe that they will find Him, that's long-suffering. We continue groaning on their behalf--we patiently endure their pain. We hope for their salvation; we hope for their redemption. We long to see just one come to know Him, to see just one come to see Him for who He really is. This is what ministry is all about--what life is all about! This is what it means to be love.
"For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse.
But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.
We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)"
Romans 8:19-25
Friday, March 27, 2015
Double Grace and Beyond the Law
For some time now, I've been seeing the number 55 so often--and I'm not talking about speed limit signs! No, it's mostly been coming up in a time on the clock or in verse numbers in the Word. 55's even been coming up through TV shows and phone numbers. I've been seeing it pretty regularly. So I really felt the Lord was unearthing something. But what does this all mean?
In Christian symbolism, 55 is associated with "double grace". Praise God! And that's what it's been recently--His grace has been a major encouragement. Grace upon grace and mercy upon mercy--that's what the Lord gives us. The mercy is new every morning (Lamentations 3:23), and the grace allows us to get through the day and persevere.
Now, God gives grace to all without finding fault (James 1:5). Praise God! But I feel like grace is not rightly conceptualized by much of the American Church today. Grace is for gifting, not for sinning. Let me elaborate--we all sin and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), and it is indeed grace that allows us to be redeemed from sin. But more than that, grace is also meant to allow holy gifts to rest in impure vessels. Grace is meant to have the gifting rest in us!
"And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all." Acts 4:33
Great power calls for great grace! Otherwise, the Lord's power would be too much for us to contain. We have His treasures in jars of clay (2 Corinthians 4:7), and grace is what allows us to experience the gifts nonetheless. We need the grace to accommodate the gifting. We need God's grace to operate in power while staying in purity. (For more on purity and power, see this post.)
If we have double grace, good! That means we'll need it to attain to the gift of God. There must be a big gifting, a big mission, and a big mandate ahead of us. We have all been called to mighty things, and between us and that attainment, there is a reservoir of grace awaiting our use. And there is some distance between where we are now, and the fullest extent of what God wants us attaining! We have some catching up to do. The gift needs to be fanned into flames (2 Timothy 1:6), and our character has to be brought up to a higher standard, also.
And we also have this grace to allow us to fulfill the law. It's not easy to fulfill the law! It takes grace. It takes grace and God's goodness that leads us to repentance. Now in the Old Testament, the Israelites had all those things. But they didn't have within them He who is greater than the sin of the world (1 John 4:4).
But Jesus came so that we could fulfill. With the Holy Spirit, we can do more than fulfill the law--we can transcend it. In a sense, we are above it. Keep in mind that we do follow the law--that's important. But now, we have a list of "do's", not a list of "do nots". Now we can live out the law in an expression of love--a new commandment. We can embrace the Spirit of the law, not just the letter. We can have the law of liberty written into our spirits (James 1:25), and we can receive a double portion of grace in getting there. Hallelujah!
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another." John 13:34
In Christian symbolism, 55 is associated with "double grace". Praise God! And that's what it's been recently--His grace has been a major encouragement. Grace upon grace and mercy upon mercy--that's what the Lord gives us. The mercy is new every morning (Lamentations 3:23), and the grace allows us to get through the day and persevere.
Now, God gives grace to all without finding fault (James 1:5). Praise God! But I feel like grace is not rightly conceptualized by much of the American Church today. Grace is for gifting, not for sinning. Let me elaborate--we all sin and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), and it is indeed grace that allows us to be redeemed from sin. But more than that, grace is also meant to allow holy gifts to rest in impure vessels. Grace is meant to have the gifting rest in us!
"And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all." Acts 4:33
Great power calls for great grace! Otherwise, the Lord's power would be too much for us to contain. We have His treasures in jars of clay (2 Corinthians 4:7), and grace is what allows us to experience the gifts nonetheless. We need the grace to accommodate the gifting. We need God's grace to operate in power while staying in purity. (For more on purity and power, see this post.)
If we have double grace, good! That means we'll need it to attain to the gift of God. There must be a big gifting, a big mission, and a big mandate ahead of us. We have all been called to mighty things, and between us and that attainment, there is a reservoir of grace awaiting our use. And there is some distance between where we are now, and the fullest extent of what God wants us attaining! We have some catching up to do. The gift needs to be fanned into flames (2 Timothy 1:6), and our character has to be brought up to a higher standard, also.
And we also have this grace to allow us to fulfill the law. It's not easy to fulfill the law! It takes grace. It takes grace and God's goodness that leads us to repentance. Now in the Old Testament, the Israelites had all those things. But they didn't have within them He who is greater than the sin of the world (1 John 4:4).
But Jesus came so that we could fulfill. With the Holy Spirit, we can do more than fulfill the law--we can transcend it. In a sense, we are above it. Keep in mind that we do follow the law--that's important. But now, we have a list of "do's", not a list of "do nots". Now we can live out the law in an expression of love--a new commandment. We can embrace the Spirit of the law, not just the letter. We can have the law of liberty written into our spirits (James 1:25), and we can receive a double portion of grace in getting there. Hallelujah!
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another." John 13:34
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Dream: Repentance with Jesus; Winds of Change
Last night I had an interesting experience. I was dreaming and the Lord Jesus came in. I did not quite see Him in this dream, that I can remember. However, He seemed very close by and I did really feel His presence. Once this presence came into my awareness--wow, what love! I was pretty taken aback with admiration and bliss. I felt His love surround me and was left in adoration.
And I also felt the need to repent. I realized how far from perfection, how far from Him, I'd been living. I repented and repented and repented--I had to in order to withstand His nearness. I became acutely aware of the degrees of pride, impurity, and unbelief I had let into my daily life. For every 'good' work I had done, I understood that He had the ability to just burn it up. At the same time, I did not really feel a worldly guilt. My sense of unworthiness was refreshing, not condemning.
So I did repent. With each confession, and every time I turned back from something, I felt Jesus come nearer. I felt Him begin to penetrate my heart. I felt His Love in a new way. His presence got so, so thick. I was crying, and then sobbing. I had repented, and I finally felt clean! And I could let Him in. Praise the Lord! This experience did not take very long, but resulted in so much heart change.
After this, I woke up. I think it was about midnight. And I heard this roaring wind in my ears. I felt like it was from God--but it still frightened me. It was a loud, intimidating sound, and I was hearing it almost internally, not sensing that I had over it any amount of control. It would pick up and then withdraw a little. I asked the Lord if He would make it more bearable, and He did. It became quieter, and then I went back to sleep.
"The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” John 3:8
I've had the above verse in my head for a couple days now. It's clearer now that it'd been preparation for what happened last night. This morning I did some research. This year, according to the Hebrew calendar year 5775, is a year for the Winds of Change to manifest on the earth. This is a time when God will blow away our impurities and usher in a new thing. The Holy Spirit will usher in a time of greater purity and longing for Jesus.
Here is an article on the Elijahlist about the winds of change and their multitudes of purpose. There are many winds, because there are many changes that can take place for the better. We are cleansed by these changes--our own shortcomings are blown away and a spiritual shift takes place.
"When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses." Jeremiah 10:13
And I also felt the need to repent. I realized how far from perfection, how far from Him, I'd been living. I repented and repented and repented--I had to in order to withstand His nearness. I became acutely aware of the degrees of pride, impurity, and unbelief I had let into my daily life. For every 'good' work I had done, I understood that He had the ability to just burn it up. At the same time, I did not really feel a worldly guilt. My sense of unworthiness was refreshing, not condemning.
So I did repent. With each confession, and every time I turned back from something, I felt Jesus come nearer. I felt Him begin to penetrate my heart. I felt His Love in a new way. His presence got so, so thick. I was crying, and then sobbing. I had repented, and I finally felt clean! And I could let Him in. Praise the Lord! This experience did not take very long, but resulted in so much heart change.
After this, I woke up. I think it was about midnight. And I heard this roaring wind in my ears. I felt like it was from God--but it still frightened me. It was a loud, intimidating sound, and I was hearing it almost internally, not sensing that I had over it any amount of control. It would pick up and then withdraw a little. I asked the Lord if He would make it more bearable, and He did. It became quieter, and then I went back to sleep.
"The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” John 3:8
I've had the above verse in my head for a couple days now. It's clearer now that it'd been preparation for what happened last night. This morning I did some research. This year, according to the Hebrew calendar year 5775, is a year for the Winds of Change to manifest on the earth. This is a time when God will blow away our impurities and usher in a new thing. The Holy Spirit will usher in a time of greater purity and longing for Jesus.
Here is an article on the Elijahlist about the winds of change and their multitudes of purpose. There are many winds, because there are many changes that can take place for the better. We are cleansed by these changes--our own shortcomings are blown away and a spiritual shift takes place.
"When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses." Jeremiah 10:13
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Hope For The Future, Part Three: Godly Idealism
God is an idealist:
Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act
unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,
does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.
This is what love does, and since God is love (1 John 4:8), this is what God does. God hopes all things. God wins in the end, so why shouldn't He hope all things? His victory is assured, and ours can be, too. And if we will rise with Him, why shouldn't we also be filled with hope?
"I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he
has given to those he called--his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance."
Ephesians 1:18 MSG
God's Word says that His people are destined for a rich and glorious inheritance. And we can walk in a measure of that glory now, and then move on to fullness. There is nothing more hope-inspiring than that!
God has so many promises for those who love Him. He has so many blessings stored up for those who live by His Spirit. He has so many good things to give. He is waiting to bless you! Not that you have not been blessed yet, but there is always more to God. He is for us unsearchable riches. (Ephesians 3:8) He is to us incomprehensible love. (Romans 11:33) It's time to get a fresh anointing. It's time to walk in our blessings. It's time to live life to the fullest. It's time for Christ in us to shine through. It's time to yield to the Father's unending hope.
"To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the
Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory"
Colossians 1:27
Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act
unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,
does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.
This is what love does, and since God is love (1 John 4:8), this is what God does. God hopes all things. God wins in the end, so why shouldn't He hope all things? His victory is assured, and ours can be, too. And if we will rise with Him, why shouldn't we also be filled with hope?
"I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he
has given to those he called--his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance."
Ephesians 1:18 MSG
God's Word says that His people are destined for a rich and glorious inheritance. And we can walk in a measure of that glory now, and then move on to fullness. There is nothing more hope-inspiring than that!
God has so many promises for those who love Him. He has so many blessings stored up for those who live by His Spirit. He has so many good things to give. He is waiting to bless you! Not that you have not been blessed yet, but there is always more to God. He is for us unsearchable riches. (Ephesians 3:8) He is to us incomprehensible love. (Romans 11:33) It's time to get a fresh anointing. It's time to walk in our blessings. It's time to live life to the fullest. It's time for Christ in us to shine through. It's time to yield to the Father's unending hope.
"To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the
Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory"
Colossians 1:27
Saturday, January 31, 2015
Snapshot: Seeing God
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" Matthew 5:8
When I began reading and meditating on the Word, I used to think that verses like the one above were more figurative than literal. Then, I began thinking that such descriptions only described what we'll experience in Heaven. But now, I believe that God wants us to know that these promised can be applicable to our every day. They can be lived out and enjoyed in this life, and even more so in the life to come. If we meet the conditions, we realize God's pleasure in us based on how He treats us. If we are pure in His sight, we'll discover that He's worth it. We will become unable to forget all His benefits:
We really can taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalms 34:8).
We can see God's Glory (John 11:40).
We can ascend to the mountaintop with the Lord. We can live in a Holy place, and God's holiness can go before us and after us. We can be hemmed in by Him and His grace. (Psalms 24:4 and context).
We can enter into God's presence in a new way. There is always more of God that we have not yet seen, heard, or even imagined (1 Corinthians 2:9 and context).
There is always a new revelation, a new promise, a new understanding of His Love. God is so far beyond searching out--we only experience tastes of Him because He let's us (Romans 11:33).
There is always so much knowledge stored up in God's Word. Enough to keep us learning, both day and night (Psalm 119:96).
These are His benefits (Psalms 103:2). These are our earthly foretastes of Heaven. These are results of our inheritance in the Lord--residence in His Kingdom. And these things are worth counting the cost. They are worth any cost! God makes life fun, but more than that, He makes it count. Let's commit our ways to Him. Let's allow Him to make us pure, from the inside out. Let's seek Him so we can see Him, and let's see Him and become more like Him.
When I began reading and meditating on the Word, I used to think that verses like the one above were more figurative than literal. Then, I began thinking that such descriptions only described what we'll experience in Heaven. But now, I believe that God wants us to know that these promised can be applicable to our every day. They can be lived out and enjoyed in this life, and even more so in the life to come. If we meet the conditions, we realize God's pleasure in us based on how He treats us. If we are pure in His sight, we'll discover that He's worth it. We will become unable to forget all His benefits:
We really can taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalms 34:8).
We can see God's Glory (John 11:40).
We can ascend to the mountaintop with the Lord. We can live in a Holy place, and God's holiness can go before us and after us. We can be hemmed in by Him and His grace. (Psalms 24:4 and context).
We can enter into God's presence in a new way. There is always more of God that we have not yet seen, heard, or even imagined (1 Corinthians 2:9 and context).
There is always a new revelation, a new promise, a new understanding of His Love. God is so far beyond searching out--we only experience tastes of Him because He let's us (Romans 11:33).
There is always so much knowledge stored up in God's Word. Enough to keep us learning, both day and night (Psalm 119:96).
These are His benefits (Psalms 103:2). These are our earthly foretastes of Heaven. These are results of our inheritance in the Lord--residence in His Kingdom. And these things are worth counting the cost. They are worth any cost! God makes life fun, but more than that, He makes it count. Let's commit our ways to Him. Let's allow Him to make us pure, from the inside out. Let's seek Him so we can see Him, and let's see Him and become more like Him.
Monday, January 12, 2015
Victory and Overcoming
As believers, we are in a battle. We are living in a land that is not our own. We are living in a constant battle, constantly warring and battling against the powers of this world. If we are not growing in our walk with the Lord, then we are at risk of missing out. We are opening the door to the enemy coming in and taking the Word out of our hearts.
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
Ephesians 6:12
We are fighting in this battle against the attempts of the enemy, which are meant to take us away from God. Satan is always at work trying to make us slip back to where we were. He is constantly trying to make us doubt God and believe a lie. He tries to wreck our bodies and our peace of mind--to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10).
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33
We are not immune from the sins of others or the schemes of the enemy. We are, in fact, destined to have trouble in this world. We are going to be fighting the enemy until the day we die. We won't be completely out of his reach until we die and get to heaven. Satan is intent on trying to cause even the strongest believers to fall away.
But Jesus has won the victory. He was tempted by the devil, but he came through it. He achieved the victory by living a sinless life, giving up Himself and conquering the grave. He embodied love and truth in everything He did.
Yesterday I received a vision where I placed a signet ring on my finger. The Father has often given me visions of signet rings as a form of encouragement as seen in Haggai 2:23. In this vision, though, there was a unique twist. I saw that on the top of the ring there was a small human figure with arms raised. I was given the 'knowing' to understand that this vision symbolized the Lord's opportunity to LIVE in victory.
Jesus was the first to be victorious, and He was the first to live life to the fullest. He came not to be served but to serve (Mark 10:45), but He still came out on the upside of everything He did. He lived with joy that couldn't be disrupted by chaos, and He lived through so much, yet never lost His peace (John 14:27).
And He died for our freedom. His sacrifices defeated the enemy once and for all. He set a template of perfection and showed us a way that we could respond to the world. He showed us how to make the most of every opportunity. Jesus Himself gave His authority to us, if we are indeed sons of God. Satan tried to make Him stumble again and again, but Jesus always came out victorious. And we now have a life to aspire to. We can commit our actions to the firstborn of many brethren (Romans 8:29), then observe as He takes us to that place of being His friend.
Thanks to Jesus, we've been made overcomers. The same Holy Spirit that animated Him is waiting inside us to respond perfectly to any and every situation. The sinless being that lived His life is living in us, too. So we can be victorious in every moment of our day! We can be victorious within our areas of influence and our families, and together form a band of overcomers.
There is power in numbers. A cord of three strands is not easily broken (Ecclesiastes 4:12).Within a band of believers is all the power that Jesus ever had. This was His doing--it was His choice to give us authority. King David loved to see believers band together (Psalms 133:1). He had experienced such a revelation of what happened in that type of meeting. He realized that overcoming could be found there. He realized that's when God comes in (Matthew 18:20), and that's when we wage war victoriously. He understood from experience that the body is where the Kingdom is built. This authority in Jesus is what causes us to overcome Hades and this world.
"I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven." Matthew 6:18-19
Confirmed: Later on in the day yesterday, a new word was released from the Elijah list--"Overcoming all in 2015" Below is an excerpt , in italics...with bolded parts for emphasis, of course.
Whether applied to our personal or corporate lives, there is a need for us to receive of the prophetic anointing to live overcoming lives. In this year be encouraged that God has only good plans in store.
God has called His people to ascend into the high places of His Presence. The enemy would have us stay "earth-bound" keeping us from soaring as eagles in prophetic vision and purpose, seeing from Heaven's view. Worship causes us to ascend in the Spirit experiencing the glory and Presence of God, also simultaneously filling out spiritual tanks to walk in victory.
I recently had a dream where a prophet was singing "Eagles fly and walk the earth" over and over again. The truth is we live in two different realms of existence. In the natural we walk the earth, and in the Spirit we soar and fly with a view being seated with Christ in heavenly realms. With this understanding, we must also arm ourselves with the truth that we need to fight through worship-warfare to take ground in the Spirit.
Here is an added dimension. Together as one body we can overcome, and we can use our spiritual gifts to do so. So let's eagerly desire the greater gifts and the spirit of prophecy(1 Corinthians 14:1)! Let's join together, with each living in His Victory. Let's do this until the point that we can testify that He's overcome the world. Let's be victorious in every moment over the enemy and his wishes for us to follow the flesh. Let's allow His Spirit to work through us and be achieve victory and peace in every single moment of our daily lives. In the midst of confusion and trouble, let's make overcoming our lifestyle.
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
Ephesians 6:12
We are fighting in this battle against the attempts of the enemy, which are meant to take us away from God. Satan is always at work trying to make us slip back to where we were. He is constantly trying to make us doubt God and believe a lie. He tries to wreck our bodies and our peace of mind--to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10).
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33
We are not immune from the sins of others or the schemes of the enemy. We are, in fact, destined to have trouble in this world. We are going to be fighting the enemy until the day we die. We won't be completely out of his reach until we die and get to heaven. Satan is intent on trying to cause even the strongest believers to fall away.
But Jesus has won the victory. He was tempted by the devil, but he came through it. He achieved the victory by living a sinless life, giving up Himself and conquering the grave. He embodied love and truth in everything He did.
Yesterday I received a vision where I placed a signet ring on my finger. The Father has often given me visions of signet rings as a form of encouragement as seen in Haggai 2:23. In this vision, though, there was a unique twist. I saw that on the top of the ring there was a small human figure with arms raised. I was given the 'knowing' to understand that this vision symbolized the Lord's opportunity to LIVE in victory.
Jesus was the first to be victorious, and He was the first to live life to the fullest. He came not to be served but to serve (Mark 10:45), but He still came out on the upside of everything He did. He lived with joy that couldn't be disrupted by chaos, and He lived through so much, yet never lost His peace (John 14:27).
And He died for our freedom. His sacrifices defeated the enemy once and for all. He set a template of perfection and showed us a way that we could respond to the world. He showed us how to make the most of every opportunity. Jesus Himself gave His authority to us, if we are indeed sons of God. Satan tried to make Him stumble again and again, but Jesus always came out victorious. And we now have a life to aspire to. We can commit our actions to the firstborn of many brethren (Romans 8:29), then observe as He takes us to that place of being His friend.
Thanks to Jesus, we've been made overcomers. The same Holy Spirit that animated Him is waiting inside us to respond perfectly to any and every situation. The sinless being that lived His life is living in us, too. So we can be victorious in every moment of our day! We can be victorious within our areas of influence and our families, and together form a band of overcomers.
There is power in numbers. A cord of three strands is not easily broken (Ecclesiastes 4:12).Within a band of believers is all the power that Jesus ever had. This was His doing--it was His choice to give us authority. King David loved to see believers band together (Psalms 133:1). He had experienced such a revelation of what happened in that type of meeting. He realized that overcoming could be found there. He realized that's when God comes in (Matthew 18:20), and that's when we wage war victoriously. He understood from experience that the body is where the Kingdom is built. This authority in Jesus is what causes us to overcome Hades and this world.
"I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven." Matthew 6:18-19
Confirmed: Later on in the day yesterday, a new word was released from the Elijah list--"Overcoming all in 2015" Below is an excerpt , in italics...with bolded parts for emphasis, of course.
Whether applied to our personal or corporate lives, there is a need for us to receive of the prophetic anointing to live overcoming lives. In this year be encouraged that God has only good plans in store.
God has called His people to ascend into the high places of His Presence. The enemy would have us stay "earth-bound" keeping us from soaring as eagles in prophetic vision and purpose, seeing from Heaven's view. Worship causes us to ascend in the Spirit experiencing the glory and Presence of God, also simultaneously filling out spiritual tanks to walk in victory.
I recently had a dream where a prophet was singing "Eagles fly and walk the earth" over and over again. The truth is we live in two different realms of existence. In the natural we walk the earth, and in the Spirit we soar and fly with a view being seated with Christ in heavenly realms. With this understanding, we must also arm ourselves with the truth that we need to fight through worship-warfare to take ground in the Spirit.
Here is an added dimension. Together as one body we can overcome, and we can use our spiritual gifts to do so. So let's eagerly desire the greater gifts and the spirit of prophecy(1 Corinthians 14:1)! Let's join together, with each living in His Victory. Let's do this until the point that we can testify that He's overcome the world. Let's be victorious in every moment over the enemy and his wishes for us to follow the flesh. Let's allow His Spirit to work through us and be achieve victory and peace in every single moment of our daily lives. In the midst of confusion and trouble, let's make overcoming our lifestyle.
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Snapshot: The Sun, Our Shield
Ever since mid December, the Lord has given so many themes pointing towards the Sun and Shield.
"For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless." Psalm 84:11
I read Psalm 84 on January 2nd, after hearing such themes for over one week. God led me to it. We know that the Sun (Son) is Jesus, and the shield is God's Love and His presence. The shield is dependant on faith (Ephesians 6:16), but the Sun isn't. Jesus is our mediator, and even if we are faithless, He will remain faithful (2 Timothy 2:13)! Jesus is Immanuel, God with us, and He will always be proven faithful. He is the one who searches and rescues the lost, and He is the one who helps those who have wandered off.
""But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture." Malachi 4:2
Jesus gives us the chance for healing. In Him we are made righteous, pure, and physically whole. All this has already been entrusted to us through Jesus's sacrifice. He has risen from the dead, and that same resurrection power is now at work within us to protect our souls and our bodies.
But there is an enemy here. Satan would have us forget our true identity. He wants us to become unaware of the promises God has given us--the tremendous inheritance He's prepared for every believer. The enemy can and sometimes does manage to steal away our view of Jesus. If Jesus is the Sun, then satan comes with dark clouds that make our connection to God unsure.
So we need have God Himself to protect us. He is our shield, and we come to Him by faith. We ask Him for spiritual safety, and then receive it. With faith in God, we will be protected by the enemy and accurately see what Jesus has for us. Have faith. Take refuge. Don't allow the enemy to disturb your peace. God wants to restore to us the joy of His salvation. Look to His Son and His shield!
Confirmed: A couple days after reading Psalm 84, I was in Joshua 10. My eyes were drawn to a subtitle called, "The Sun Stands Still". My mind automatically related "The Sun" to Jesus. And I realized that Jesus is willing to stand still for us. He is willing to slow down, and not pass us by. He is so willing to have mercy on His sheep, and He will stand still if they stumble. And they may stumble, but they will not fall (Psalms 37:24).
"For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless." Psalm 84:11
I read Psalm 84 on January 2nd, after hearing such themes for over one week. God led me to it. We know that the Sun (Son) is Jesus, and the shield is God's Love and His presence. The shield is dependant on faith (Ephesians 6:16), but the Sun isn't. Jesus is our mediator, and even if we are faithless, He will remain faithful (2 Timothy 2:13)! Jesus is Immanuel, God with us, and He will always be proven faithful. He is the one who searches and rescues the lost, and He is the one who helps those who have wandered off.
""But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture." Malachi 4:2
Jesus gives us the chance for healing. In Him we are made righteous, pure, and physically whole. All this has already been entrusted to us through Jesus's sacrifice. He has risen from the dead, and that same resurrection power is now at work within us to protect our souls and our bodies.
But there is an enemy here. Satan would have us forget our true identity. He wants us to become unaware of the promises God has given us--the tremendous inheritance He's prepared for every believer. The enemy can and sometimes does manage to steal away our view of Jesus. If Jesus is the Sun, then satan comes with dark clouds that make our connection to God unsure.
So we need have God Himself to protect us. He is our shield, and we come to Him by faith. We ask Him for spiritual safety, and then receive it. With faith in God, we will be protected by the enemy and accurately see what Jesus has for us. Have faith. Take refuge. Don't allow the enemy to disturb your peace. God wants to restore to us the joy of His salvation. Look to His Son and His shield!
Confirmed: A couple days after reading Psalm 84, I was in Joshua 10. My eyes were drawn to a subtitle called, "The Sun Stands Still". My mind automatically related "The Sun" to Jesus. And I realized that Jesus is willing to stand still for us. He is willing to slow down, and not pass us by. He is so willing to have mercy on His sheep, and He will stand still if they stumble. And they may stumble, but they will not fall (Psalms 37:24).
Monday, January 5, 2015
Snapshot: Binding and Loosing
How do we pray? God teaches us how to pray. Often in street ministry God will speak to me and tell me how to intercede for people. Over time I've noticed that these directed prayers combine two different steps. God will instruct me to pray against something, and then pray for something from Him to be brought in. For example, I might be told to pray against someone's judgmental attitude and for the healing of their family relationships. Now, I don't know these people, nor do I usually talk to them, but I just have to take my guidance by faith. His sheep hear His voice.
In the spiritual world, there are both Godly and ungodly forces. Remember, whoever is not for Jesus is against Him (Matthew 12:30). When praying, God will lead to dictate accordingly. This takes two steps, like I said above--binding and loosing. We need to pray against the forces of darkness and have God eliminate them, and then we need to pray for good things and have God give them. This is what it means to bind and loose.
Of course, we need to be led in this. We should only bind things that are bound in Heaven, and we should only loose things that are loosed in Heaven. How do we know the reality that exists in Heaven? We don't-- but God does. We need to be close enough to Him so that we can be led by His Spirit and discern His voice. He will tell us what it's like where He is--His Spirit will search this for us and reveal to us just what we need to know (1 Corinthians 2:10).
So we need to identify how our current reality differs from that in Heaven. And we need to pray for God to bring in complete alignment! We need to pray His Kingdom come. Let's bind what is not for Him, and loose what pleases Him. This is our spiritual warfare.
Confirmed: Two days ago I had an opportunity to do some street ministry in an absolutely packed grocery store. I was in Heaven!! This isn't just entertainment--it helps me believe and gives me God's purpose. Anyways, God had me intercede for some people that I didn't get a chance to talk to. He was having me do just what I've described in this post--first praying against darkness, and then praying into the Kingdom. The more you are operating in faith, hope and Love, the more rewarding this is. Wigglesworth said that you only need a touch from Jesus to have a good time.
Right after this errand we got back into the car and I resumed reading Bill Johnson's new book. He was talking about binding and loosing...how in the past he would bind the oppressors, but then mistakenly not loose anything! As a result, his prayers seemed to lack the power that he felt like they should have.
As believers, as sons of God, we have been given spiritual authority. Our words have power, and binding and loosing are the commands of Heaven! These two phrases contain power to restrain the enemy and release angel armies. There is power of life and death in our tongue (Proverbs 18:21). There is power to build up and to tear down according to the prayers we pray. As Christians we need to step into the will of God through targeted prayer. We need to work on behalf of His Kingdom! Let's allow Him to give us a heart for intercession.
In the spiritual world, there are both Godly and ungodly forces. Remember, whoever is not for Jesus is against Him (Matthew 12:30). When praying, God will lead to dictate accordingly. This takes two steps, like I said above--binding and loosing. We need to pray against the forces of darkness and have God eliminate them, and then we need to pray for good things and have God give them. This is what it means to bind and loose.
Of course, we need to be led in this. We should only bind things that are bound in Heaven, and we should only loose things that are loosed in Heaven. How do we know the reality that exists in Heaven? We don't-- but God does. We need to be close enough to Him so that we can be led by His Spirit and discern His voice. He will tell us what it's like where He is--His Spirit will search this for us and reveal to us just what we need to know (1 Corinthians 2:10).
So we need to identify how our current reality differs from that in Heaven. And we need to pray for God to bring in complete alignment! We need to pray His Kingdom come. Let's bind what is not for Him, and loose what pleases Him. This is our spiritual warfare.
Confirmed: Two days ago I had an opportunity to do some street ministry in an absolutely packed grocery store. I was in Heaven!! This isn't just entertainment--it helps me believe and gives me God's purpose. Anyways, God had me intercede for some people that I didn't get a chance to talk to. He was having me do just what I've described in this post--first praying against darkness, and then praying into the Kingdom. The more you are operating in faith, hope and Love, the more rewarding this is. Wigglesworth said that you only need a touch from Jesus to have a good time.
Right after this errand we got back into the car and I resumed reading Bill Johnson's new book. He was talking about binding and loosing...how in the past he would bind the oppressors, but then mistakenly not loose anything! As a result, his prayers seemed to lack the power that he felt like they should have.
As believers, as sons of God, we have been given spiritual authority. Our words have power, and binding and loosing are the commands of Heaven! These two phrases contain power to restrain the enemy and release angel armies. There is power of life and death in our tongue (Proverbs 18:21). There is power to build up and to tear down according to the prayers we pray. As Christians we need to step into the will of God through targeted prayer. We need to work on behalf of His Kingdom! Let's allow Him to give us a heart for intercession.
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