"Shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but willingly, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness"
~1 Peter 5:2
"Not under compulsion, but willingly". The Holy Spirit has been bringing up that short phrase again and again. It doesn't just have to do with giving, or praying, or even shepherding. Our Heavenly Father wants our every act to be done, not under compulsion, but willingly.
When we do anything for God, we're giving Him something. Our time, talent, attention--whatever it is, it's a gift to Him. We choose to sacrifice our own plans and commit to His.
"With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you; I will give thanks to your name, Yahweh, for it is good." ~Psalm 54:6
It's our free will offering that Yahweh wants. Remember that the natural came first, and then the spiritual (1 Cor. 15:46). He wants us to willingly offer up ourselves and all the gifts He's given us. And He wants us to do so thankfully!
"When you sacrifice a thank offering to the LORD, sacrifice it in such a way that it will be accepted on your behalf."
~Leviticus 22:29
It's not enough to just go through the motions in our service to God. We need to be willing, and thankful. We can present to Him our acceptable sacrifice (Romans 12:1). Once we have aligned ourselves with the knowledge of Messiah and His sacrifice, then we can gratefully present ours. Our life can be full of choices where we happily choose our Father's perfect will.
Showing posts with label God's Will. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God's Will. Show all posts
Monday, December 14, 2015
Thursday, August 20, 2015
The Gift of Faith in Prayer, Part Four
How do we walk in the gift of faith? Well...
"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" Romans 10:17
"...Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise." John 5:19
"For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak." John 12:49
In order to operate in the gift of faith, we need to draw closer to the Lord. We need to hear His will and act only based on that. This is a trust thing!
God wants us to operate in the creative gift of faith. This is a place of prophetic inspiration and declaration. We pray according to His will on heaven, in order to see His will happen on earth!
"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" Romans 10:17
"...Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise." John 5:19
"For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak." John 12:49
In order to operate in the gift of faith, we need to draw closer to the Lord. We need to hear His will and act only based on that. This is a trust thing!
God wants us to operate in the creative gift of faith. This is a place of prophetic inspiration and declaration. We pray according to His will on heaven, in order to see His will happen on earth!
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
Thursday, May 28, 2015
The Wind of The Holy Spirit: It Realigns
Many people know that the Holy Spirit is our inner witness as Christians. He confirms in our spirits what's good, what's bad, what's from God, and what's not.
But God is in us and around us! His Spirit may give us an outer witness as well (for more on this topic, see here). Sometimes, He comes as a wind! Sometimes, He comes as a rain. And sometimes, He comes as that still, small voice--that inner witness that so many may be more familiar with.
Whether God is moving in spiritual or natural realms, His Spirit can be likened to a wind. And either way, this wind can realign, redirect, and re-inspire us as we walk through the path of our life--as we walk through His will.
Sometimes I'll be walking along, and God will send in a wind and steer me towards some other direction. It's a blessed assurance! It's Him telling me where He wants me to go. "This is the way, walk in it" (Isaiah 30:21) He's in control, and He manipulates His creation in order to speak.
In the spiritual realm, many things can steer us. Thoughts can steer us. Mental patterns can steer us. And words can steer us--words steer us just as a ship is turned by the smallest of rudders (James 3:4). People and situations can keep us distracted by the natural world--leaving us unable to navigate through the essence of God's spiritual character and spiritual will for our lives.
The solution for us is to make God's words our words. To make His prayers our prayers. To make His Word, the Bible, the dictate of our thoughts, speech, and action.
We need to realize that the Holy Spirit wants to be our only guide. God wants His power to be the only thing that propels us into the future. If we are in trouble, if we are desperate, if we need to see breakthrough happen, then we need to let the Spirit lead us onwards into a place of rest.
If each of us can be likened to a ship--that's what the Word says-- then we need to have our tongue come into agreement with whatever direction has already been given by the Spirit of God. It is His inspiration that backs us. And it is our words that confirm Him. It's time to say what He's said.
We can progress into God's perfect will sooner if we allow the wind of the Spirit flow unhindered. And we do this by bringing the rudder of our ship--our tongue-- into alignment with Him.
So thoughts flow into words, and words flow into actions. If we believe the Word of God, if we make His thoughts our thoughts, then our future becomes His. That's when the passion of God flows out. That's when the Spirit of God makes things exciting. That's when blessings rest on us, and good things happen.
We need to let Him realign us, so we can be walking in the promises. We need to back His will with our words. We need to allow God to steer us and propel us, without stifling His Spirit with our own thoughts or filters. We need to let Him be our guide.
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Snapshot: Remembering Your Mantle
A few days ago, the Lord showed me a mantle. And He reminded me that His calling on my life is not confusion or doubt, but to walk into His purposes and promises.
He also took up the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and returned and stood by the bank of the Jordan. He took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and struck the waters and said, "Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?" And when he also had struck the waters, they were divided here and there; and Elisha crossed over. 2 Kings 2:13-14
Mantles represent our spiritual authority--the measure of Christ in us that does the works. It's time to remember His hope! It's time to remember His calling. It's time to remember what it's like to be called.
Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love... Ephesians 4:1-2
It takes the power of the Holy Spirit to walk into our calling. It takes the fullness of the Spirit to accomplish God's will. And it takes life in the Spirit to bear good fruit--humility, gentleness, love--to show ourselves worthy. We need to remember that God saved us so that we could be firstfruits.
We need to know that God's will is not unrest or anxiety. His will is assurance! God wants us to feel empowered, to be empowered, and to live empowered. He wants us to remember our spiritual identity and authority in Him.
He also took up the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and returned and stood by the bank of the Jordan. He took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and struck the waters and said, "Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?" And when he also had struck the waters, they were divided here and there; and Elisha crossed over. 2 Kings 2:13-14
Mantles represent our spiritual authority--the measure of Christ in us that does the works. It's time to remember His hope! It's time to remember His calling. It's time to remember what it's like to be called.
Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love... Ephesians 4:1-2
It takes the power of the Holy Spirit to walk into our calling. It takes the fullness of the Spirit to accomplish God's will. And it takes life in the Spirit to bear good fruit--humility, gentleness, love--to show ourselves worthy. We need to remember that God saved us so that we could be firstfruits.
We need to know that God's will is not unrest or anxiety. His will is assurance! God wants us to feel empowered, to be empowered, and to live empowered. He wants us to remember our spiritual identity and authority in Him.
Monday, May 18, 2015
Strength in Weakness
God wants us to be strong. He wants us to be bold, courageous, and competent in the things that He's called us to do. He wants us to live life empowered by Him! And yesterday, the Lord spoke to me...and He told me to be strong:
"Be strong in everything you do, and give thanks to Me always..."
Simple stuff, yet what an effect it had on me. This wasn't an in-depth word, but it impacted me deeply. What encouragement; what direction! God knows how to hit you where it hurts--in a good way!
First, Some Backdrop...
To tell you the truth, I have not felt that strong recently. I wake up tired and go to bed tired. I walk around tired, at least more often than I'd like to. I'm in bad shape, compared to what what I was like as a cyclist years ago. Satan tries to get a doubt in...he tries to tell me I have chronic fatigue or some immune problems. What a lie! Nonetheless, I feel it, and the Lord has not yet allowed me to stay in perfect health.
And enough about me.... Vanessa has been tired for eight months. She's been very tired, with some sort of virus. God hasn't healed her. I've prayed for her, we've prayed for her, other healing evangelists have prayed for her. It doesn't make a difference. You can't escape God's will! And God's will for her, right now, is to be a 'Job'. *
See, even with her illness, God is pleased. Even with her fatigue, God is using her. Many people she's prayed for in the last 8 months time have been healed. Some have even been healed of chronic fatigue. God is pleased, and our trials don't stop His power from flowing through us. God is pleased, and He's given us these treasures in jars of clay (2 Corinthians 4:7)!
What God Meant in What He Said
Anyways, when God said "be strong", He meant spiritually strong, yes--but He also meant it physically. The two are related! In this case, the spiritual comes first. We have our minds renewed. And then we are transformed (Romans 12:2), even transformed in our physical bodies, because the joy of the Lord leads to strength (Nehemiah 8:10)!
No matter how weak we are, if we turn to Him, we will find reserves of strength. We will find all surpassing power. We will find justification and empowerment to carry out His will. With God, we can't stay weak for very long! We may be tired for a day, we may be tired for a week, we may be tired for a year. But deliverance will come. We need to stay zealous, then--God's will is for us to come through! God's will is to subject us to no more than 'momentary affliction' (2 Corinthians 4:17). We need to know that God will not test us beyond what we can handle (1 Corinthians 10:13). We need to hold onto our hope--the hope He's given us.
"Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong."
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
*I know that this is a controversial topic...we'll make a blog post on it soon!
First, Some Backdrop...
To tell you the truth, I have not felt that strong recently. I wake up tired and go to bed tired. I walk around tired, at least more often than I'd like to. I'm in bad shape, compared to what what I was like as a cyclist years ago. Satan tries to get a doubt in...he tries to tell me I have chronic fatigue or some immune problems. What a lie! Nonetheless, I feel it, and the Lord has not yet allowed me to stay in perfect health.
And enough about me.... Vanessa has been tired for eight months. She's been very tired, with some sort of virus. God hasn't healed her. I've prayed for her, we've prayed for her, other healing evangelists have prayed for her. It doesn't make a difference. You can't escape God's will! And God's will for her, right now, is to be a 'Job'. *
See, even with her illness, God is pleased. Even with her fatigue, God is using her. Many people she's prayed for in the last 8 months time have been healed. Some have even been healed of chronic fatigue. God is pleased, and our trials don't stop His power from flowing through us. God is pleased, and He's given us these treasures in jars of clay (2 Corinthians 4:7)!
What God Meant in What He Said
Anyways, when God said "be strong", He meant spiritually strong, yes--but He also meant it physically. The two are related! In this case, the spiritual comes first. We have our minds renewed. And then we are transformed (Romans 12:2), even transformed in our physical bodies, because the joy of the Lord leads to strength (Nehemiah 8:10)!
No matter how weak we are, if we turn to Him, we will find reserves of strength. We will find all surpassing power. We will find justification and empowerment to carry out His will. With God, we can't stay weak for very long! We may be tired for a day, we may be tired for a week, we may be tired for a year. But deliverance will come. We need to stay zealous, then--God's will is for us to come through! God's will is to subject us to no more than 'momentary affliction' (2 Corinthians 4:17). We need to know that God will not test us beyond what we can handle (1 Corinthians 10:13). We need to hold onto our hope--the hope He's given us.
"Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong."
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
*I know that this is a controversial topic...we'll make a blog post on it soon!
Thursday, May 7, 2015
Declarations Make A Way
A recent theme--declarations! God says something, we believe it, and then we speak it. Receive, believe, achieve!
There are two types of declarations I want to go into here. We can declare things from the written word, or we can declare things from the spoken word. Both types can be Spirit-filled and Spirit-led, but one usually requires more discernment than another. Let's look at both.
1) Written-Word Declarations
Here we recite something written in God's Word--we take a written promise and make it our own. For example, I may say, 'I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus'. This is truth, according to 2 Corinthians 5:21. Believing the Word, and hearing and speaking it, is how we are sanctified. We are sanctified by the truth! (John 17:17)
We can also declare scripture when we are tempted by the devil. Remember, that's what Jesus did! So the Word is for upliftment, but it's also for warfare--it's our sword and our weapon for battle.
2) Spoken-word Declarations
These can be tricker. We need ears to hear; we need our own spiritual ears to be closely attuned. The voice of the Holy Spirit is worth listening for! For example, today the Lord showed me the shield of faith, and prompted me to pray that over myself. So I did. Another example--I may hear the Spirit speak strength to my body. What should my response be? Well, probably to speak strength to myself. That's where faith comes in! If God said it, then I need to believe it. Do I feel stronger? Yes! Because it is written! The joy of the Lord is my strength.
We declare what God says first. If God didn't set the precedent, our declarations probably won't work. Remember that Job's friends were wrong! We need to be in tune, discerning, and not presumptuous. We need to value His voice.
Written-Word and spoken-word declarations go hand in hand! They feed off of each other! We can have the Bible confirmed by hearing His personal voice, and we can confirm our rhema words by testing them against scripture. Faith comes by hearing (Romans 10:17), and hearing comes in many forms.
When we declare God's will, it looses the heavens. It loosens angels and an empowerment of the Holy Spirit. It loosens any blockages and binds any opposition. God's will comes down unrestrained, on earth as it is in Heaven! That's what declaring does! It brings us up into God's reality. It brings up our faith, and our faith takes us to a place where God really is. Declarations make a way.
There are two types of declarations I want to go into here. We can declare things from the written word, or we can declare things from the spoken word. Both types can be Spirit-filled and Spirit-led, but one usually requires more discernment than another. Let's look at both.
1) Written-Word Declarations
Here we recite something written in God's Word--we take a written promise and make it our own. For example, I may say, 'I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus'. This is truth, according to 2 Corinthians 5:21. Believing the Word, and hearing and speaking it, is how we are sanctified. We are sanctified by the truth! (John 17:17)
We can also declare scripture when we are tempted by the devil. Remember, that's what Jesus did! So the Word is for upliftment, but it's also for warfare--it's our sword and our weapon for battle.
2) Spoken-word Declarations
These can be tricker. We need ears to hear; we need our own spiritual ears to be closely attuned. The voice of the Holy Spirit is worth listening for! For example, today the Lord showed me the shield of faith, and prompted me to pray that over myself. So I did. Another example--I may hear the Spirit speak strength to my body. What should my response be? Well, probably to speak strength to myself. That's where faith comes in! If God said it, then I need to believe it. Do I feel stronger? Yes! Because it is written! The joy of the Lord is my strength.
We declare what God says first. If God didn't set the precedent, our declarations probably won't work. Remember that Job's friends were wrong! We need to be in tune, discerning, and not presumptuous. We need to value His voice.
Written-Word and spoken-word declarations go hand in hand! They feed off of each other! We can have the Bible confirmed by hearing His personal voice, and we can confirm our rhema words by testing them against scripture. Faith comes by hearing (Romans 10:17), and hearing comes in many forms.
When we declare God's will, it looses the heavens. It loosens angels and an empowerment of the Holy Spirit. It loosens any blockages and binds any opposition. God's will comes down unrestrained, on earth as it is in Heaven! That's what declaring does! It brings us up into God's reality. It brings up our faith, and our faith takes us to a place where God really is. Declarations make a way.
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
All About Visions: Intercession
So, this marks the last post (for now!) in this "All About Visions" series. And I wanted to describe one of the most wonderful and common ways that the Lord gives visions. Often, we receive a vision for intercession! We receive from God a vision and it's message so we know how to specifically intercede.
Intercession is wonderful even if we don't know what to pray for. God is still pleased! However, Spirit led intercession is the best. We pray through the struggles of others, as God reveals to us just what those are. And one of the easiest ways for us to conceptualize Him--His thoughts towards whoever we're praying for-- is through a vision, sent by Him!
So, we pray through another's trials for ourselves, until we have attained to spiritual rest. When you're in the Spirit, you just know when it's time to fight. Conversely, you also just know when the faith comes in and the battle's already been won. Sometimes God moves into victory very quickly! So it's important to be attuned to His heart.
Let's say you're praying for your friend. And you see a turtle swimming for part of your prayer. Visions for intercession, like always, fall into several (broad) categories. Also like always, they may have more than one meaning:
1) There is some Christian symbolism here--you're friend is the sea turtle
2) There is some Christian symbolism here--someone in your friend's life is the sea turtle
3) This is a literal vision--maybe your friend loves turtles, or just lost their pet turtle
OK, most visions are not meant to be interpreted physically or literally--especially when it comes to intercession. But since God gave the vision, we need to look back to Him for the interpretation, also. God may give a vision and speak a word, but He may just give the vision, because He wants you to ask Him to speak a word. This is where relationship with the Holy Spirit comes in. We need an accurate inner witness. Anyways...
So...vision, interpretation, now what? Well, then we can pray! Based on what God revealed, there will be things to pray for, or things to pray against, or things to pray into. There may be things to simply thank God for--things that He's already done. There are many variables here, but He can lead during this also! All we need to do is pray according to His will. All we need to do is ask Him to bring Heaven down onto earth.
With the Lord's leading--with visions and insights from Him--intercession can be done from a point of victory. We don't have to struggle in the flesh! We don't (necessarily) need to go on and on with long, general prayers. We don't need to fight or worry, thinking that our mind is going to wander. We can be in a place of spiritual rest, knowing that all we need to do is repeat after God.
Now, there's many places for long prayers, but what I am saying is that one minute with God's passion is often enough. One minute under the power and influence of the Holy Spirit--one minute of targeted intercession--is enough. You'll already feel the victory! You'll feel the heart of God stirring up to carry out justice.
Intercession is meant to be a joy, not a burden. For me, it used to be a burden--until I yielded to God's love for another! That's when He made His love my own. And that's when passion came. That's when visions and revelations came! And that's when I knew what it pleased Him to pray for.
Intercession is wonderful even if we don't know what to pray for. God is still pleased! However, Spirit led intercession is the best. We pray through the struggles of others, as God reveals to us just what those are. And one of the easiest ways for us to conceptualize Him--His thoughts towards whoever we're praying for-- is through a vision, sent by Him!
So, we pray through another's trials for ourselves, until we have attained to spiritual rest. When you're in the Spirit, you just know when it's time to fight. Conversely, you also just know when the faith comes in and the battle's already been won. Sometimes God moves into victory very quickly! So it's important to be attuned to His heart.
Let's say you're praying for your friend. And you see a turtle swimming for part of your prayer. Visions for intercession, like always, fall into several (broad) categories. Also like always, they may have more than one meaning:
1) There is some Christian symbolism here--you're friend is the sea turtle
2) There is some Christian symbolism here--someone in your friend's life is the sea turtle
3) This is a literal vision--maybe your friend loves turtles, or just lost their pet turtle
OK, most visions are not meant to be interpreted physically or literally--especially when it comes to intercession. But since God gave the vision, we need to look back to Him for the interpretation, also. God may give a vision and speak a word, but He may just give the vision, because He wants you to ask Him to speak a word. This is where relationship with the Holy Spirit comes in. We need an accurate inner witness. Anyways...
So...vision, interpretation, now what? Well, then we can pray! Based on what God revealed, there will be things to pray for, or things to pray against, or things to pray into. There may be things to simply thank God for--things that He's already done. There are many variables here, but He can lead during this also! All we need to do is pray according to His will. All we need to do is ask Him to bring Heaven down onto earth.
With the Lord's leading--with visions and insights from Him--intercession can be done from a point of victory. We don't have to struggle in the flesh! We don't (necessarily) need to go on and on with long, general prayers. We don't need to fight or worry, thinking that our mind is going to wander. We can be in a place of spiritual rest, knowing that all we need to do is repeat after God.
Now, there's many places for long prayers, but what I am saying is that one minute with God's passion is often enough. One minute under the power and influence of the Holy Spirit--one minute of targeted intercession--is enough. You'll already feel the victory! You'll feel the heart of God stirring up to carry out justice.
Intercession is meant to be a joy, not a burden. For me, it used to be a burden--until I yielded to God's love for another! That's when He made His love my own. And that's when passion came. That's when visions and revelations came! And that's when I knew what it pleased Him to pray for.
Sunday, April 19, 2015
Asking or Commanding?
**Note: This post refers mostly to how we should approach praying for others--especially if they are in need of healing, miracles, deliverance, or release from opposing spirits. These instances are the main times when we should command. Asking God for something is not wrong of sinful if it is done in faith. We should all ask God for things everyday! But there is a definite time to accept the power of God and tailor our prayers in accordance with the fullness of His will.**
Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” he said.
“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”
Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”
When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.
John 11:38-44
We need to realize that Jesus is our Master and Lord, as well as our role model. The works He did, we can do, too. And so it follows that the ways He walked in, we should walk in, also. We should talk like He talked, pray like He prayed, and think like He thought--all on the way to loving like He loved. So let's look at how He prayed, and aspire to do the same!
HOW DID JESUS PRAY?
We can learn through the Word that most of Jesus' prayers for miracles were short and to the point. Jesus did not repeatedly ask or beg the Father to move His hand. He simply spoke out of assurance and commanded the change. In the instance with Lazarus above, Jesus says one of His most interesting prayers. He actually prayed more than a couple sentences for this miracle, but not for His sake or for the Father's! He only did so for the sake of the understanding of those listening! He didn't say a long prayer just to go on and on. He never incorporated cop-outs into His prayers. Whenever Jesus prayed, His words were only a means to an end--that end being a manifestation of the Father's will. And that manifestation always came quickly!
ASK OR COMMAND?
So let's say we are in a situation where someone needs and is seeking a healing from the Lord. What do we say? What do we ask God for? Many times, people make the mistake of begging and begging God for something, something that He is much more eager to do than they are! People sometimes ask God for something--they ask Him to carry out a promise--as if God otherwise was not so into keeping His promises. I feel God wants us to command His true will, rather than ask Him if He might consider changing a situation that has been caused by the enemy.
COMMAND WITH EXPECTATION
We need to trust God enough to be in tune with Him. And then we can be in tune with Him enough to command! We command the will of God out of a place of knowing the will of God. We need to pray with enough faith and enough passion that the end of our prayer is the best part--because that's when we can see that the faithfulness of God has achieved the desired effect! That's how praying should be. We should know that just a few of our words is enough for God, in His goodness, to completely change things.
COMMAND IN THE SPIRIT, NOT THE FLESH
Now, there is a danger in our commanding if it is done in the flesh. Commanding away an affliction in Jesus' name is much, much different than trying to order God around. We need to stay in the Spirit to avoid presumption and pride. We need to be in the Spirit and operating in Christ's love whenever we pray and command on His behalf.
COMMAND UNDER THE APPROVAL OF GOD
So the solution to praying correctly is to pray in the Spirit--driven and under the influence of God's will. Realize that if we are in the Spirit, we may still ask God for the healing. We just ask Him before any corporate prayer begins--we ask Him on our own time, so that we can command when the time to see the manifestation comes. We may ask God beforehand, or we may just have the inner witness of the Holy Spirit. The important thing about commanding anything is this: we need to be driven and guided by God up until the point of prayer.
COMMAND WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD'S GOODNESS
When we command by the Spirit, guided by His love, that's when we become fully convinced of God's goodness. That's when we realize what we're up against--and it's not God! We realize that what we are commanding out is opposed to God. And we realize that His will is nothing other than a completed overcoming. We can realize victory, because Jesus has already won the victory. We can realize God's passion and longing for us to triumph. Most of all, when we're in the Spirit, we are so assured that God's will is healing and not sickness, joy and not depression, purity and not pain. We don't need to ask Him if things are any different! And we don't need to ask out of doubt, because God's truth comes in and moves us to decisive action. God wants to take us to a place of being moved to accomplish His true and perfect will.
"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will."
Romans 12:2
Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” he said.
“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”
Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”
When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.
John 11:38-44
We need to realize that Jesus is our Master and Lord, as well as our role model. The works He did, we can do, too. And so it follows that the ways He walked in, we should walk in, also. We should talk like He talked, pray like He prayed, and think like He thought--all on the way to loving like He loved. So let's look at how He prayed, and aspire to do the same!
HOW DID JESUS PRAY?
We can learn through the Word that most of Jesus' prayers for miracles were short and to the point. Jesus did not repeatedly ask or beg the Father to move His hand. He simply spoke out of assurance and commanded the change. In the instance with Lazarus above, Jesus says one of His most interesting prayers. He actually prayed more than a couple sentences for this miracle, but not for His sake or for the Father's! He only did so for the sake of the understanding of those listening! He didn't say a long prayer just to go on and on. He never incorporated cop-outs into His prayers. Whenever Jesus prayed, His words were only a means to an end--that end being a manifestation of the Father's will. And that manifestation always came quickly!
ASK OR COMMAND?
So let's say we are in a situation where someone needs and is seeking a healing from the Lord. What do we say? What do we ask God for? Many times, people make the mistake of begging and begging God for something, something that He is much more eager to do than they are! People sometimes ask God for something--they ask Him to carry out a promise--as if God otherwise was not so into keeping His promises. I feel God wants us to command His true will, rather than ask Him if He might consider changing a situation that has been caused by the enemy.
COMMAND WITH EXPECTATION
We need to trust God enough to be in tune with Him. And then we can be in tune with Him enough to command! We command the will of God out of a place of knowing the will of God. We need to pray with enough faith and enough passion that the end of our prayer is the best part--because that's when we can see that the faithfulness of God has achieved the desired effect! That's how praying should be. We should know that just a few of our words is enough for God, in His goodness, to completely change things.
COMMAND IN THE SPIRIT, NOT THE FLESH
Now, there is a danger in our commanding if it is done in the flesh. Commanding away an affliction in Jesus' name is much, much different than trying to order God around. We need to stay in the Spirit to avoid presumption and pride. We need to be in the Spirit and operating in Christ's love whenever we pray and command on His behalf.
COMMAND UNDER THE APPROVAL OF GOD
So the solution to praying correctly is to pray in the Spirit--driven and under the influence of God's will. Realize that if we are in the Spirit, we may still ask God for the healing. We just ask Him before any corporate prayer begins--we ask Him on our own time, so that we can command when the time to see the manifestation comes. We may ask God beforehand, or we may just have the inner witness of the Holy Spirit. The important thing about commanding anything is this: we need to be driven and guided by God up until the point of prayer.
COMMAND WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD'S GOODNESS
When we command by the Spirit, guided by His love, that's when we become fully convinced of God's goodness. That's when we realize what we're up against--and it's not God! We realize that what we are commanding out is opposed to God. And we realize that His will is nothing other than a completed overcoming. We can realize victory, because Jesus has already won the victory. We can realize God's passion and longing for us to triumph. Most of all, when we're in the Spirit, we are so assured that God's will is healing and not sickness, joy and not depression, purity and not pain. We don't need to ask Him if things are any different! And we don't need to ask out of doubt, because God's truth comes in and moves us to decisive action. God wants to take us to a place of being moved to accomplish His true and perfect will.
"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will."
Romans 12:2
Thursday, April 9, 2015
Word: The Severity of Mercy
A few days I was getting a headache and praying it away wasn't quite working like it usually does. So I asked the Lord about this, and He simply said,
"Not My goodness but My severity"
This took me by surprise a little. And I felt like the Lord was telling me I was in the wrong somehow. He highlighted to me that I was not at peace! So I repented--turned--from this mistake as well as I could. And the headaches gradually went away. Thank you, Lord, for the comfort in your discipline. His rod is supposed to comfort us! (Psalms 23:4) It may not be easy to undergo, but God always works our discipline for the good.
Just a few minutes after the Lord said this, and as my headache was going away, I saw a new book on the table, and flipped it face up to look at the title. It was called "A Severe Mercy", by one of CS Lewis's friends. Wow! What a confirmation. I did not know we had that book, nor had I ever heard of it. But I realize that God's mercy leads to discipline--that His mercy calls for severity. It was the Lord who prompted me to flip over that book as a way to confirm His message! God is so masterful in His workings. He always confirms His word.
So if you're going through a trial of some sort, it may not be from the enemy! It may be discipline from the Lord--an effort by Him to get you back into line. Now, your trial might just be a spiritual attack. But it could be disciplining from God! And we need to inquire of God to see if we're in the wrong. We need to inquire of Him, to see if we opened up a door someplace or are walking without His light. We shouldn't try to war against God's will only because we mistook His teaching for something else.
So let's war against the enemy, yes, with his condemnation and lying and problems. But let's make sure that our trials are not actually God trying to get our attention. He may be wanting us to repent. He may want us to be healed, delivered, brought out--He does--but only if we will first identify our problems. So we need to diligently seek Him whenever we encounter a trial. It could be that He just wants us to cast the enemy out. But maybe He wants to tell us something first.
"Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word." Psalm 119:67
"It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes" Psalm 119:71
"Not My goodness but My severity"
This took me by surprise a little. And I felt like the Lord was telling me I was in the wrong somehow. He highlighted to me that I was not at peace! So I repented--turned--from this mistake as well as I could. And the headaches gradually went away. Thank you, Lord, for the comfort in your discipline. His rod is supposed to comfort us! (Psalms 23:4) It may not be easy to undergo, but God always works our discipline for the good.
Just a few minutes after the Lord said this, and as my headache was going away, I saw a new book on the table, and flipped it face up to look at the title. It was called "A Severe Mercy", by one of CS Lewis's friends. Wow! What a confirmation. I did not know we had that book, nor had I ever heard of it. But I realize that God's mercy leads to discipline--that His mercy calls for severity. It was the Lord who prompted me to flip over that book as a way to confirm His message! God is so masterful in His workings. He always confirms His word.
So if you're going through a trial of some sort, it may not be from the enemy! It may be discipline from the Lord--an effort by Him to get you back into line. Now, your trial might just be a spiritual attack. But it could be disciplining from God! And we need to inquire of God to see if we're in the wrong. We need to inquire of Him, to see if we opened up a door someplace or are walking without His light. We shouldn't try to war against God's will only because we mistook His teaching for something else.
So let's war against the enemy, yes, with his condemnation and lying and problems. But let's make sure that our trials are not actually God trying to get our attention. He may be wanting us to repent. He may want us to be healed, delivered, brought out--He does--but only if we will first identify our problems. So we need to diligently seek Him whenever we encounter a trial. It could be that He just wants us to cast the enemy out. But maybe He wants to tell us something first.
"Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word." Psalm 119:67
"It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes" Psalm 119:71
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Anticipating God's Spirit
The Lord began speaking to me about how to better anticipate Him--how to foresee His next move. And there can be several steps to this. Now God can't just be formatted, but formats can help us understand how He works.
Step 1) The first step in anticipating God's next move in your life is understanding hope. We need to look forward to restored joy, restored love, restored peace...we need to look forward to restoration of fullness of life. We need to know that He will uphold us and push us higher and higher.
"Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit."
Psalm 51:11-12
Step 2) Once we have hope, then we can call on Him in confidence. (1 John 5:14) Then we can be bold and know that He will reveal to us something according to His will. We call on Him, and we have the awareness of our future 'saved'. (Romans 10:13) Once we have hope for the future, we can attain to the promises found in Jeremiah 33:3. And we can have boldness and confidence in this.
"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."
Step 3) So we call out to God, and God tells us something. He tells us something about His future work that would otherwise be knowable. He tells us something that testifies to Jesus, something that is in line with the spirit of prophecy (Revelations 19:10). He gives us a word, or a vision, or a parable that points to and reveals His movement in the future.
For example, the Lord may reveal that tomorrow is going to be a day when a sibling of yours is really going to feel His love. This kind of prophetic knowledge can also come as a warning to pray against---He may say that tomorrow is going to be a day where the enemy is going to try to attack you financially. Whether God gives an encouraging word or a warning, the response needs to be in praying according to His will. We can 'pray into' that coming sense of love and call it forth, or we can 'pray against' that financial warfare. Remember that all God's promises are "yes" and "amen" in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20).
Step 4) Step 3 is repeated as the Lord trains our ears to hear (Mark 4:9). We become accustomed to His voice, and build trust in the revealing of His plans. Once God has sanctified our ears, then He can sanctify our minds. He can make us attuned to Him. This is when He gives us the mind of Christ.
"But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. 16For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ." 1 Corinthians 2:15-16
If we have the mind of Christ, the Lord speaks to us in a way that transcends a word, a vision, or a parable. The spirit of prophecy manifests in a new way that brings fullness and truth to our awareness of the future. And our own logical or mechanistic thinking on tomorrow, or the next day, or the next, is replaced by a knowing that comes from oneness with the Lord.
For example, I may be thinking about Vanessa's (previous) back problems, and in thinking with the Lord, I feel Him reassure me that everything is going to be alright. And then the next day, Vanessa tells me that her back was healed by the Lord that morning. Or, I'll be thinking of a certain Christian friend who we don't see often, and then go on to hear that they're coming to our house next month. God inspires our thoughts to the extent that they become prophetic. And if our thoughts are prophetic, then we don't necessarily need a clear word. We develop a type of godly premonition. What would Jesus think? As it relates to us, we begin to think along with Him, too.
Step 5) If we have the mind of Christ, praise God! That's when we can act on it. We can pray into it, act into it, and walk in it. God's reality can continuously be coming into union with our own. We can do only what we see, or envision, the father doing. (John 5:19) This is where God wants to take us, if we ourselves will respond by wanting to get there. If we are controlled by the spirit of prophecy to this extent, then we will be made into a testimony to Jesus. And that's what it's all about!
Step 1) The first step in anticipating God's next move in your life is understanding hope. We need to look forward to restored joy, restored love, restored peace...we need to look forward to restoration of fullness of life. We need to know that He will uphold us and push us higher and higher.
Psalm 51:11-12
Step 2) Once we have hope, then we can call on Him in confidence. (1 John 5:14) Then we can be bold and know that He will reveal to us something according to His will. We call on Him, and we have the awareness of our future 'saved'. (Romans 10:13) Once we have hope for the future, we can attain to the promises found in Jeremiah 33:3. And we can have boldness and confidence in this.
"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."
Step 3) So we call out to God, and God tells us something. He tells us something about His future work that would otherwise be knowable. He tells us something that testifies to Jesus, something that is in line with the spirit of prophecy (Revelations 19:10). He gives us a word, or a vision, or a parable that points to and reveals His movement in the future.
For example, the Lord may reveal that tomorrow is going to be a day when a sibling of yours is really going to feel His love. This kind of prophetic knowledge can also come as a warning to pray against---He may say that tomorrow is going to be a day where the enemy is going to try to attack you financially. Whether God gives an encouraging word or a warning, the response needs to be in praying according to His will. We can 'pray into' that coming sense of love and call it forth, or we can 'pray against' that financial warfare. Remember that all God's promises are "yes" and "amen" in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20).
Step 4) Step 3 is repeated as the Lord trains our ears to hear (Mark 4:9). We become accustomed to His voice, and build trust in the revealing of His plans. Once God has sanctified our ears, then He can sanctify our minds. He can make us attuned to Him. This is when He gives us the mind of Christ.
"But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. 16For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ." 1 Corinthians 2:15-16
If we have the mind of Christ, the Lord speaks to us in a way that transcends a word, a vision, or a parable. The spirit of prophecy manifests in a new way that brings fullness and truth to our awareness of the future. And our own logical or mechanistic thinking on tomorrow, or the next day, or the next, is replaced by a knowing that comes from oneness with the Lord.
For example, I may be thinking about Vanessa's (previous) back problems, and in thinking with the Lord, I feel Him reassure me that everything is going to be alright. And then the next day, Vanessa tells me that her back was healed by the Lord that morning. Or, I'll be thinking of a certain Christian friend who we don't see often, and then go on to hear that they're coming to our house next month. God inspires our thoughts to the extent that they become prophetic. And if our thoughts are prophetic, then we don't necessarily need a clear word. We develop a type of godly premonition. What would Jesus think? As it relates to us, we begin to think along with Him, too.
Step 5) If we have the mind of Christ, praise God! That's when we can act on it. We can pray into it, act into it, and walk in it. God's reality can continuously be coming into union with our own. We can do only what we see, or envision, the father doing. (John 5:19) This is where God wants to take us, if we ourselves will respond by wanting to get there. If we are controlled by the spirit of prophecy to this extent, then we will be made into a testimony to Jesus. And that's what it's all about!
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
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Snapshot: Fire as Protection
Yesterday the Lord showed me a vision where my path was hemmed in. Walls of fire surrounded me, leading me down my desired path. This has been a recurring vision for me. Sometimes I get it for others, sometimes I get it for myself. Either way, it relates to the Lord's hedge of protection--the fiery seal of the Holy Spirit-- directed around the path of His children. There's always a sense that He's just anointed it that way. There's just a sense that it's predestined.
This is what the LORD says: "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls..."
Jeremiah 6:16
God has placed around each of us a hedge of protection. He's placed on all of us His seal. He's placed within all of us His Holy Spirit. And He's placed a firewall around our path. He's prepared for us all a perfect way, a place where blessings rest.
If you are not walking in blessings, than you may not be on this path. You may not be on the highway of holiness (Isaiah 35:8). You may not be laying hold of all that the Lord has for you. See, the enemy cannot touch you if you're surrounded by Holy Spirit fire. He can't get to you if you're totally submitted, totally obedient, totally sacrificed--if God has totally hemmed you in. When you're on God's path, only goodness can touch you. And this path is where all of us need to be. Pleasing and being pleased by the Father. This is the path God wants us on--the path He's prepared for us since the beginning of time!
"Now it shall be, if you diligently obey the LORD your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you obey the LORD your God." Deuteronomy 28:2-3
"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:10
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Creative Ideas
A few days ago now, Vanessa and I were praying and I felt driven to say to God, "Thank you for creative ideas". I felt inspired to say this but didn't really know why. Afterwards, Vanessa asked what that was all about, and I said I don't know!
I remember, that late last year the Holy Spirit was teaching me to speak things with His authority. Basically, God has to speak something first! The best we can do is repeat after Him. If we speak after Him, that's when our words have power. That's when they have heavenly significance.
"You will also decree a thing, and it will be established for you; And light will shine on your ways."
Job 22:28
This is what Job's friends told him, and it was true--for the most part. There comes a time when God gives the righteous--that was Job!--freedom. There is a time when we can enjoy such freedom in the ways that we serve God. God wants to bring us into freedom where we can serve alongside Him, dream with Him, and create with Him.
There comes a time when "all these things will be given" to us, as well (Matthew 6:33). There comes a time when we will decree a thing, God will back it, and it will be birthed into reality. There comes a breakthrough when God takes over our minds, hearts, and imaginations, and makes them pure.
We need to understand that the Holy Spirit makes the word flesh. He makes the word of God, and the inspirations of God, manifest into something that can dwell among us. (John 1:14) In our lives, we should see the Word come alive and make a tangible impact on whatever is around us. God had a wonderful idea named Jesus, and He has made us in His own image. Thanks to His idea, we can enjoy the the many ideas that were originally only His.
And His purity can make us pure. God has purified our desires, and He has created us with the intention that we break free from our sinful nature. He made us with imaginations; He made us with creativity; He made us with ideas! He wants to purify us and give us His righteousness, because He wants to see our dreams become reality.
God wants us to declare and decree His promises. Start with the Word. Speak the truth into existence--there is the power of life in our speech (Proverbs 18:21)!
The spiritual comes before the physical, so stay grounded in the Word. But aren't there also personal promises God give us? Don't you think He wants to bless the work of your hands? Don't you think that He wants to give you success in whatever you do (Genesis 39:23)? This is the truth, but not many people seem to make it to that point.
Anyways, if there is a promise God has given you--an acting career, a certain type of ministry, a successful published book, etc.--pray into it. Pray into it, speak into it, act into it. Speak His Kingdom come. There is power when our words agree with God in Heaven. There is power when God gives us an idea from Him. Don't you know that God cannot fail? There is such security in doing the things that He tells you. These things won't fail! If He tells you something, decree it? Decree it, and the Holy Spirit will breath it into existence.
God is the most creative One out there. And we can be included into Him! We can have His righteousness, and after we have it, we can have His creative ides. Let's be bold in our declarations and in the things we say--let's be bold and forcefully advance the Kingdom (Matthew 11:12). Let's access God's version of reality by speaking supernatural life and not death.
Since praying that prayer a few days ago, so many 'creative ideas' have been coming at Vanessa and I. It wasn't that my words had much power, but I spoke into what God was saying, and in doing so, aligned with the power that is only His. Glory to God! He gives us freedom, even to have what we say come to pass. Be heavily led, be in tune and in step with the Spirit, and watch as you receive whatever you ask for in prayer (John 14:13)
I remember, that late last year the Holy Spirit was teaching me to speak things with His authority. Basically, God has to speak something first! The best we can do is repeat after Him. If we speak after Him, that's when our words have power. That's when they have heavenly significance.
"You will also decree a thing, and it will be established for you; And light will shine on your ways."
Job 22:28
This is what Job's friends told him, and it was true--for the most part. There comes a time when God gives the righteous--that was Job!--freedom. There is a time when we can enjoy such freedom in the ways that we serve God. God wants to bring us into freedom where we can serve alongside Him, dream with Him, and create with Him.
There comes a time when "all these things will be given" to us, as well (Matthew 6:33). There comes a time when we will decree a thing, God will back it, and it will be birthed into reality. There comes a breakthrough when God takes over our minds, hearts, and imaginations, and makes them pure.
We need to understand that the Holy Spirit makes the word flesh. He makes the word of God, and the inspirations of God, manifest into something that can dwell among us. (John 1:14) In our lives, we should see the Word come alive and make a tangible impact on whatever is around us. God had a wonderful idea named Jesus, and He has made us in His own image. Thanks to His idea, we can enjoy the the many ideas that were originally only His.
And His purity can make us pure. God has purified our desires, and He has created us with the intention that we break free from our sinful nature. He made us with imaginations; He made us with creativity; He made us with ideas! He wants to purify us and give us His righteousness, because He wants to see our dreams become reality.
God wants us to declare and decree His promises. Start with the Word. Speak the truth into existence--there is the power of life in our speech (Proverbs 18:21)!
The spiritual comes before the physical, so stay grounded in the Word. But aren't there also personal promises God give us? Don't you think He wants to bless the work of your hands? Don't you think that He wants to give you success in whatever you do (Genesis 39:23)? This is the truth, but not many people seem to make it to that point.
Anyways, if there is a promise God has given you--an acting career, a certain type of ministry, a successful published book, etc.--pray into it. Pray into it, speak into it, act into it. Speak His Kingdom come. There is power when our words agree with God in Heaven. There is power when God gives us an idea from Him. Don't you know that God cannot fail? There is such security in doing the things that He tells you. These things won't fail! If He tells you something, decree it? Decree it, and the Holy Spirit will breath it into existence.
God is the most creative One out there. And we can be included into Him! We can have His righteousness, and after we have it, we can have His creative ides. Let's be bold in our declarations and in the things we say--let's be bold and forcefully advance the Kingdom (Matthew 11:12). Let's access God's version of reality by speaking supernatural life and not death.
Since praying that prayer a few days ago, so many 'creative ideas' have been coming at Vanessa and I. It wasn't that my words had much power, but I spoke into what God was saying, and in doing so, aligned with the power that is only His. Glory to God! He gives us freedom, even to have what we say come to pass. Be heavily led, be in tune and in step with the Spirit, and watch as you receive whatever you ask for in prayer (John 14:13)
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Snapshot: Tongues as Our Truth Filter
A few days ago God gave me a reminder of the importance of praying in tongues. It all began when I was directed to a book advertisement on the Elijah list-- "70 Reasons for Speaking in Tongues". Several other confirmations followed. Spurred on by this, I began speaking in tongues much more, and noticed that my clarity improved afterwards.
Tongues reveal the truth. They align us with the reality of the Holy Spirit within us. I know that some healing evangelists like their congregants to speak in the Spirit when receiving words of knowledge. Why? Because tongues bring us up into God's spiritual frequency, where we can align our spirits with an uncovered portion of the truth. Then come accurate words of knowledge. We may not know, but He does, and as we let the Spirit pray through us, He imparts to us unsearchable things.
"But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God's deep secrets." 1 Corinthians 2:10
When we pray in the Spirit, we receive from Him increasingly accurate spiritual insights--whether prophecies, visions, or words of knowledge. We receive a perfect, pure filter through which knowledge flows unhindered from the throne of God to us. We receive encoded messages of a sort, which are then unveiled as the Holy Spirit translates these messages to our spirit.
"The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned." 1 Corinthians 2:14
If I ever have uncertainties or questions to God, praying in the Spirit removes any 'spiritual fog' that might be resisting me. A friend of mine prays in the Spirit when they need a dream interpreted by the Lord. Aligning with the Spirit via tongues brings deception and confusion under submission to Christ.
"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:5
Tongues are divinely powerful. They serve as a truth filter! Revelation from tongues reveals the pure truth. Praying in the Spirit removes the influence of the flesh, which after all profits nothing (John 6:63). This is a way that we can prove the will of God.
"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:2
Tongues reveal the truth. They align us with the reality of the Holy Spirit within us. I know that some healing evangelists like their congregants to speak in the Spirit when receiving words of knowledge. Why? Because tongues bring us up into God's spiritual frequency, where we can align our spirits with an uncovered portion of the truth. Then come accurate words of knowledge. We may not know, but He does, and as we let the Spirit pray through us, He imparts to us unsearchable things.
"But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God's deep secrets." 1 Corinthians 2:10
When we pray in the Spirit, we receive from Him increasingly accurate spiritual insights--whether prophecies, visions, or words of knowledge. We receive a perfect, pure filter through which knowledge flows unhindered from the throne of God to us. We receive encoded messages of a sort, which are then unveiled as the Holy Spirit translates these messages to our spirit.
"The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned." 1 Corinthians 2:14
If I ever have uncertainties or questions to God, praying in the Spirit removes any 'spiritual fog' that might be resisting me. A friend of mine prays in the Spirit when they need a dream interpreted by the Lord. Aligning with the Spirit via tongues brings deception and confusion under submission to Christ.
"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:5
Tongues are divinely powerful. They serve as a truth filter! Revelation from tongues reveals the pure truth. Praying in the Spirit removes the influence of the flesh, which after all profits nothing (John 6:63). This is a way that we can prove the will of God.
"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:2
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.
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Being Guided
What the body of Christ needs is to be constantly guided. We need to be in tune with the Spirit of God, and we need to follow His promptings step by step. There are so many ways to be taken out of our communion with Him, though. And some seem innocent enough. Below are two of the more subtle things that distract us from God's perfect will:
1) TIME -- Will you give God your time? Arbitrary schedules, agendas, and even everyday obligations can take your mind off of God and stifle the Spirit. Will you give God these things?
Forget about the time...His Presence is here. Forget about these distractions...instead, be willing to focus on Immanuel, God with us. Be willing to come to awareness of the manifest presence of God through His son Jesus.
"But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me." But the Lord answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her." Luke 10:40-42
1) TIME -- Will you give God your time? Arbitrary schedules, agendas, and even everyday obligations can take your mind off of God and stifle the Spirit. Will you give God these things?
Forget about the time...His Presence is here. Forget about these distractions...instead, be willing to focus on Immanuel, God with us. Be willing to come to awareness of the manifest presence of God through His son Jesus.
"But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me." But the Lord answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her." Luke 10:40-42
2) OBLIGATIONS -- Related to time; how many things do you commit to that do not matter to God? How many things that you do will just burn up at the end? How often do you not consult only yourself before making a decision. Let's seek God instead. You'd be surprised--God wants you to do only those things that glorify Him. There are a lot of good things out there. But their is only one best thing, and that's to glorify Jesus. Setting up obligations can leave you already committed by the time God gives you clear instruction. God will honor your words, and your obligations to others, but the truth is that He may have had a better way that is now pushed back by your own will. Don't by your obligations stifle God's perfect will for you.
"I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one." Ezekiel 22:30
Wait, and then act. God is not necessarily impressed by your ability to get things done. Obligations will only fill up your time with events that are not ideal. Instead, God wants you to join Him in His plans. So change starts with Him, and effective work starts with Him. We need to commit first to His work. What are His plans? What are His thoughts? What does He have in store for where you, for your community? If you surrender your time and your obligations to Him, if you lay them down at His feet, He will let you in on His plans. This is where effective work starts, and this is where doing the will of God gets exciting. Yield to Him, and be willing to have Him change you plans. He may even say "no" to your desires, but you will find the richness of His will so much more fulfilling than striving alone.
"They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them..." Acts 16:6-7
Confirmed: I went to the Quickened Word website about two hours after finishing this post, and saw a new Word there that really confirmed the reality of distractions. This Word addressed things from a different angle, describing the spiritual fallout produced by distractions, but was so timely and synchronistic for me. We need to focus on Him, and then on doing His will! Here is the article.
Confirmed: I went to the Quickened Word website about two hours after finishing this post, and saw a new Word there that really confirmed the reality of distractions. This Word addressed things from a different angle, describing the spiritual fallout produced by distractions, but was so timely and synchronistic for me. We need to focus on Him, and then on doing His will! Here is the article.
Sunday, December 28, 2014
God Speaks to His People
The following are excerpts from the book Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby & Claude King:
"GOD GIVES SPECIFIC DIRECTIONS
A popular teaching says God does not give you clear directives. It says He just sets your life in motion. Then you try to figure out the directions using your God-given mind. This implies that a Christian always thinks correctly and according to God's will. This does not take into account that the old nature is constantly battling with the spiritual nature (see Romans 7.) Our ways are not God's ways (See Isaiah 55:8.) Only God can give you the kind of specific directions to accomplish His purposes in His ways....
The Holy Spirit gives clear directives today. God is personal. He wants to be intimately involved in your life. He will give you clear guidance for living. You may say, 'That has not been my experience.' You need to bring your experience up to the Word of God and now lower God's ways to match your own...
If you do not have clear instructions from God in a matter, pray and wait. Learn patience. Depend on God's timing. His timing is always right and best. Don't get in a hurry. He may be withholding directions to cause you to seek Him more intently. Don't try to skip over the relationship to get on with the doing. God is more interested in love relationship with you than He is in what you can do for Him. (pgs. 94-95)"
"GOD REVEALS HIS PURPOSES
God reveals His purposes so you will know what He plans to do. If you are to join Him, you need to know what He is about to do or what He is already doing. What you plan to do for God is not important. What He plans to do where you are is very important. God speaks with a purpose in mind.
When God came to Noah, He did not ask, "What do you want to do for me?" He came to reveal what He was about to do. It was far more important to know what God was about to do. It really did not matter what Noah had planned to do for God. God was about to destroy the world. He wanted to work through Noah to accomplish His purposes of saving a remnant of people and animals to repopulate the earth. (pg. 99)"
I was very encouraged by these two sections of this book this morning. Lately, I've begun to lose faith in things that God has told me about what He is doing now and in the future, wondering if I even heard His voice correctly. Doubt has been springing up to snatch away the hope I have in His Promises, even Proverbs Promises like, "...He will direct your path."
Last week I went to the Alumni Service at the high school I graduated from. Something was said that morning over and over again after we read Isaiah 40, which was, "Hold onto the Promises of God. He is who He says He is, and He does what He says He is going to do." In one form or another, this message was really driven home, and I was encouraged.
But then of course, I was shot by another arrow of doubt, and didn't withstand it. So this morning, when I walked into my workspace, this book was laid open with a little clump of pages sticking straight up. On the left side was pages 94-95 (the first excerpt), and on the ride side, page 99 (the second excerpt.) These two specific passages were so refreshing to me. It renewed my mind with Truths from God's Word. I often get confirming scriptures from the Bible for things like this, but often God will use books written by Christians to speak to me as well. Praise the Lord!!
I have listened to Charles Stanley since I was younger, but really "got into" his preaching when I was living in Los Angeles, after I had come back to God. One of his staple teachings on "knowing the will of God" is that we must believe that He has a very specific plan for our life, and that we must seek Him diligently to know His "calling" on our life. I know that He has been revealing His will for me, and I also know that the enemy would love to try to make me doubt again, as to render me ineffective in this world. Let us remember the Promises of God! Promises He has given us in His Word, and also Promises He has revealed to us about His plans for us!
"GOD GIVES SPECIFIC DIRECTIONS
A popular teaching says God does not give you clear directives. It says He just sets your life in motion. Then you try to figure out the directions using your God-given mind. This implies that a Christian always thinks correctly and according to God's will. This does not take into account that the old nature is constantly battling with the spiritual nature (see Romans 7.) Our ways are not God's ways (See Isaiah 55:8.) Only God can give you the kind of specific directions to accomplish His purposes in His ways....
The Holy Spirit gives clear directives today. God is personal. He wants to be intimately involved in your life. He will give you clear guidance for living. You may say, 'That has not been my experience.' You need to bring your experience up to the Word of God and now lower God's ways to match your own...
If you do not have clear instructions from God in a matter, pray and wait. Learn patience. Depend on God's timing. His timing is always right and best. Don't get in a hurry. He may be withholding directions to cause you to seek Him more intently. Don't try to skip over the relationship to get on with the doing. God is more interested in love relationship with you than He is in what you can do for Him. (pgs. 94-95)"
"GOD REVEALS HIS PURPOSES
God reveals His purposes so you will know what He plans to do. If you are to join Him, you need to know what He is about to do or what He is already doing. What you plan to do for God is not important. What He plans to do where you are is very important. God speaks with a purpose in mind.
When God came to Noah, He did not ask, "What do you want to do for me?" He came to reveal what He was about to do. It was far more important to know what God was about to do. It really did not matter what Noah had planned to do for God. God was about to destroy the world. He wanted to work through Noah to accomplish His purposes of saving a remnant of people and animals to repopulate the earth. (pg. 99)"
I was very encouraged by these two sections of this book this morning. Lately, I've begun to lose faith in things that God has told me about what He is doing now and in the future, wondering if I even heard His voice correctly. Doubt has been springing up to snatch away the hope I have in His Promises, even Proverbs Promises like, "...He will direct your path."
Last week I went to the Alumni Service at the high school I graduated from. Something was said that morning over and over again after we read Isaiah 40, which was, "Hold onto the Promises of God. He is who He says He is, and He does what He says He is going to do." In one form or another, this message was really driven home, and I was encouraged.
But then of course, I was shot by another arrow of doubt, and didn't withstand it. So this morning, when I walked into my workspace, this book was laid open with a little clump of pages sticking straight up. On the left side was pages 94-95 (the first excerpt), and on the ride side, page 99 (the second excerpt.) These two specific passages were so refreshing to me. It renewed my mind with Truths from God's Word. I often get confirming scriptures from the Bible for things like this, but often God will use books written by Christians to speak to me as well. Praise the Lord!!
I have listened to Charles Stanley since I was younger, but really "got into" his preaching when I was living in Los Angeles, after I had come back to God. One of his staple teachings on "knowing the will of God" is that we must believe that He has a very specific plan for our life, and that we must seek Him diligently to know His "calling" on our life. I know that He has been revealing His will for me, and I also know that the enemy would love to try to make me doubt again, as to render me ineffective in this world. Let us remember the Promises of God! Promises He has given us in His Word, and also Promises He has revealed to us about His plans for us!
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Snapshot: Entering the Promised Land
A few days ago God spoke to me about my pathway through life. This was the same day He was telling me to ask for details. But in addition to this, we need to allow the Spirit to control our will and our dreams. We need to imagine God's Will, and walk into it. We need to see what He sees, feel what He feels, and follow His leadings step by step into the Promised Land.
I remember that a Christian figure from past times coined the term "Holy Imagination". And that's what we need to have. We need to have Holy thoughts and pure minds. Only then can we dream big.
And only then can God implant Himself into our visions and our dreams . Infact, this was the way that He called many old testament prophets. So many were called and received their calling from a Spirit filled, almost otherworldly dream.
This past Spring, I had a dream that I was crossing the Jordan river. The dream wasn't set in ancient times, though; instead, I was on a steamboat that was slowly being evacuated. Many passengers were on this boat, and many were scared about whatever might happen while they were stuck on this stalled boat. Other passengers, however, didn't seem to see any problem in their situation. I was left wondering what to do myself.
After some time, a militia-type group had also been sent onto the scene. These military leaders searched for passengers willing to be recruited into their evacuation team. Brave passengers became compelled to join this team, which was preparing to leave the ship and search for help on the mainland nearby. I remember that the ship was fairly close to the riverbank, although the evacuation team was facing a jungle once across the river. I listened as the military personnel spoke about the dangers of the mission ahead, and I felt more than slightly intimidated by my own prospects of joining this voluntary team. But the situation on the boat was boring and lifeless, and people were left to waste away through their own devices. So I decided I would go. I was going to join this team and cross the Jordan! I was told that the mission would be long and hard. I was told it would be dangerous. But I wanted to get off of that boat--it wasn't going anywhere and the people on board were not motivated to do much. This is where the dream ended.
When I woke up I felt it was a dream from the Lord. I felt His leading to be bold for Him and venture into uncharted territory. I felt His desire to take me into new places, and report back to those 'stuck' what I tasted and saw. Shortly after waking up that morning, God led me to the Joshua 1, 2 and 3, which strongly matched my dream. God was beginning a new season in my life, and I was being exhorted to enter into the promised land. Around the same time I had this dream, I started doing healing ministry on the street. I was just starting to be used by our Lord to pray for the afflicted. I was out of my comfort zone oftentimes. But I had made the choice; I had crossed the Jordan!
God's recently began speaking about this to me again. I believe that I'm in a new season now, and I've just crossed another river of roadblocks. In the life of a strong believer, there may well be many "Jordans" to cross. God wants His children to personally walk through the exploits in the Bible, and in that dream He gave me, I was shown that He wanted me to live out Jordan crossing of Joshua.
Confirmed 12/13: God showed me that I've crossed the Jordan, because His commandments were more important.
Confirmed 12/14: I was reading the book of Judges, and through 'quickened eye-glances' (see the Quickened Word for more on this), God revealed to me that I had been called out with Him. This is exactly what the military leaders were doing in my dream all those months ago. And He went on and showed me that I was to follow His lead. How critical! Just as the Israelites could not cross the Jordan without the Presence of God, in the Ark, guiding them, we cannot enter the Promised Land that He's called us to unless we follow Him into it.
Confirmed 12/15: Recent Themes have been: Lush, green gardens. Green trees. The Tree of Life. Milk and Honey. The finest of foods. Open Door to His Promises!
Confirmed 12/15: I was reading the Bible Commentary book again, and God really spoke through it. Random reading (search the 'labels' feature for this, if you're interested). I was led to the subtitles "Canaan" and "Canaan as a type of Heaven". God wants to lead us all into a land where the Promises He's given us become manifest. He wants to lead all those who will listen into a land of heaven on earth. The Promised Land symbolizes that our Lord has given us another chance to return to the Garden. The Promised Land symbolizes that our God has great things planned for us, even before we enter Heaven itself. Praise God!
I remember that a Christian figure from past times coined the term "Holy Imagination". And that's what we need to have. We need to have Holy thoughts and pure minds. Only then can we dream big.
And only then can God implant Himself into our visions and our dreams . Infact, this was the way that He called many old testament prophets. So many were called and received their calling from a Spirit filled, almost otherworldly dream.
This past Spring, I had a dream that I was crossing the Jordan river. The dream wasn't set in ancient times, though; instead, I was on a steamboat that was slowly being evacuated. Many passengers were on this boat, and many were scared about whatever might happen while they were stuck on this stalled boat. Other passengers, however, didn't seem to see any problem in their situation. I was left wondering what to do myself.
After some time, a militia-type group had also been sent onto the scene. These military leaders searched for passengers willing to be recruited into their evacuation team. Brave passengers became compelled to join this team, which was preparing to leave the ship and search for help on the mainland nearby. I remember that the ship was fairly close to the riverbank, although the evacuation team was facing a jungle once across the river. I listened as the military personnel spoke about the dangers of the mission ahead, and I felt more than slightly intimidated by my own prospects of joining this voluntary team. But the situation on the boat was boring and lifeless, and people were left to waste away through their own devices. So I decided I would go. I was going to join this team and cross the Jordan! I was told that the mission would be long and hard. I was told it would be dangerous. But I wanted to get off of that boat--it wasn't going anywhere and the people on board were not motivated to do much. This is where the dream ended.
When I woke up I felt it was a dream from the Lord. I felt His leading to be bold for Him and venture into uncharted territory. I felt His desire to take me into new places, and report back to those 'stuck' what I tasted and saw. Shortly after waking up that morning, God led me to the Joshua 1, 2 and 3, which strongly matched my dream. God was beginning a new season in my life, and I was being exhorted to enter into the promised land. Around the same time I had this dream, I started doing healing ministry on the street. I was just starting to be used by our Lord to pray for the afflicted. I was out of my comfort zone oftentimes. But I had made the choice; I had crossed the Jordan!
God's recently began speaking about this to me again. I believe that I'm in a new season now, and I've just crossed another river of roadblocks. In the life of a strong believer, there may well be many "Jordans" to cross. God wants His children to personally walk through the exploits in the Bible, and in that dream He gave me, I was shown that He wanted me to live out Jordan crossing of Joshua.
Confirmed 12/13: God showed me that I've crossed the Jordan, because His commandments were more important.
Confirmed 12/14: I was reading the book of Judges, and through 'quickened eye-glances' (see the Quickened Word for more on this), God revealed to me that I had been called out with Him. This is exactly what the military leaders were doing in my dream all those months ago. And He went on and showed me that I was to follow His lead. How critical! Just as the Israelites could not cross the Jordan without the Presence of God, in the Ark, guiding them, we cannot enter the Promised Land that He's called us to unless we follow Him into it.
Confirmed 12/15: Recent Themes have been: Lush, green gardens. Green trees. The Tree of Life. Milk and Honey. The finest of foods. Open Door to His Promises!
Confirmed 12/15: I was reading the Bible Commentary book again, and God really spoke through it. Random reading (search the 'labels' feature for this, if you're interested). I was led to the subtitles "Canaan" and "Canaan as a type of Heaven". God wants to lead us all into a land where the Promises He's given us become manifest. He wants to lead all those who will listen into a land of heaven on earth. The Promised Land symbolizes that our Lord has given us another chance to return to the Garden. The Promised Land symbolizes that our God has great things planned for us, even before we enter Heaven itself. Praise God!
Friday, December 12, 2014
Asking for His Details
I was asking God for a few things in prayer earlier today... and decided to play some worshipful music on my Kindle while getting some things done. As I was getting the music set up, a YouTube add came up which said: "Ask More, Get More". This was quickened to me because it happened synchronistically with my prayer.
"Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son" John 14:13
If we abide in Him, this will be obvious in our lives. Because when we abide in Him, our will is replaced by His. When we abide in Him, we are led to pray His Kingdom down, just as it is in Heaven (Matthew 6:10). And if we ask in prayer for His Will and His Kingdom, He will surely give it!
But we need to ask. Even more than that, we need to live in a hungering for His Will that results in our asking. Smith Wigglesworth said that asking is receiving. But this is only true if we are walking really close to God. He is waiting for us to ask, and He is waiting for us to receive. He is waiting for us to stop and consider the very BEST for our lives...and that requires searching for His perfect Will. God wants to guide us continually (Isaiah 58:11). Are we willing to surrender all and long for His desires?
Confirmed: There was a new Rhema Word on the Quickened Word website today. Here it is. As I've gotten close to God, I've realized that He is really into the details. He wants everything, even the little things.. He desires everything, because all things are His, and He will not turn down an opportunity to glorify Himself. His name is majestic in all the earth (Psalms 8:1). This article goes into that very well.
God wants to bless every aspect of our lives. But He can only do that if we are living for Him. He will only :guide us continually" if we are seeking His Will and praying into it. The more we ask Him, the more we get direction. And the more we can receive Holy direction, the more we can please Him and rise above this world. But we need to seek Him intently and not for selfish reasons.
"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--His good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2
If we are set apart from the world, we can receive downloads of God with clear filters. God's Word has already been planted in our hearts, but it cannot mature unless we have been sanctified. So we are sanctified, we pray His Will into manifestation, and we receive a mind in tune with the Spirit and the perfect Will of God.
Finding God's Will is an art more than a science. We have to be equipped to test it. We have to strive for His PERFECT Will. God wants the best for us. We need to do our best to follow Him. It takes purpose and purity of heart to see what He wants. We need to become more pure, in order to plunge deeper into spiritual things. We should be able to discern God's thoughts on all areas of our lives. Why not? Our vision will take on His own if we abide in Him, if we are pure.
God delights in every detail of our lives (see Psalm 37:23 on that Quickened Word post). Yes, every detail. The problem is that many are still learning the basics of God over and over and over again. So many need to stay confined to spiritual milk because they choose to live with minds fixated on this world. Why not pay the price for spiritual meat? (See 1 Corinthians 3)
Our God is willing, our God is able, our God is mighty. He is mighty to save and sanctify EVERY part of our lives. He is not willing for any of our works to be burnt up. But we can only please Him in everything if we deeply abide in Him. If we abide in Him, we will find that salvation is a full experience. Let's seek God for every aspect of His Will.
Let's ask Him for every single detail. Let's choose the very best path, so that He can delight in us. Do you know when God wants you to wake up tomorrow? If not, what does He think about the way you dress? Does He want you to pray for a particular neighbor? Does He want you to live where you do? Do not expect to discern these things if you are living in the world. We can only see a larger part (see 1 Corinthians 13) if we have taken on His purity. It takes a transformed mind and a walk in His Spirit to please Him in all. Let's commit to this.
Remember, God want to guide you continually. He wants you to enjoy favor in all things you do. There is a price to pay, but it is worth it. Entering the fullness of salvation is worthy of counting the cost. Put Him first, and He will direct you.
Confirmed 12/15: This post is a confirmation of the "asking" theme. Like the post says, never be afraid to ask for directions! Vanessa and I like to call them 'navigational commands'. We need to ask if we want to receive fully.
"Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son" John 14:13
If we abide in Him, this will be obvious in our lives. Because when we abide in Him, our will is replaced by His. When we abide in Him, we are led to pray His Kingdom down, just as it is in Heaven (Matthew 6:10). And if we ask in prayer for His Will and His Kingdom, He will surely give it!
But we need to ask. Even more than that, we need to live in a hungering for His Will that results in our asking. Smith Wigglesworth said that asking is receiving. But this is only true if we are walking really close to God. He is waiting for us to ask, and He is waiting for us to receive. He is waiting for us to stop and consider the very BEST for our lives...and that requires searching for His perfect Will. God wants to guide us continually (Isaiah 58:11). Are we willing to surrender all and long for His desires?
Confirmed: There was a new Rhema Word on the Quickened Word website today. Here it is. As I've gotten close to God, I've realized that He is really into the details. He wants everything, even the little things.. He desires everything, because all things are His, and He will not turn down an opportunity to glorify Himself. His name is majestic in all the earth (Psalms 8:1). This article goes into that very well.
God wants to bless every aspect of our lives. But He can only do that if we are living for Him. He will only :guide us continually" if we are seeking His Will and praying into it. The more we ask Him, the more we get direction. And the more we can receive Holy direction, the more we can please Him and rise above this world. But we need to seek Him intently and not for selfish reasons.
"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--His good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2
If we are set apart from the world, we can receive downloads of God with clear filters. God's Word has already been planted in our hearts, but it cannot mature unless we have been sanctified. So we are sanctified, we pray His Will into manifestation, and we receive a mind in tune with the Spirit and the perfect Will of God.
Finding God's Will is an art more than a science. We have to be equipped to test it. We have to strive for His PERFECT Will. God wants the best for us. We need to do our best to follow Him. It takes purpose and purity of heart to see what He wants. We need to become more pure, in order to plunge deeper into spiritual things. We should be able to discern God's thoughts on all areas of our lives. Why not? Our vision will take on His own if we abide in Him, if we are pure.
God delights in every detail of our lives (see Psalm 37:23 on that Quickened Word post). Yes, every detail. The problem is that many are still learning the basics of God over and over and over again. So many need to stay confined to spiritual milk because they choose to live with minds fixated on this world. Why not pay the price for spiritual meat? (See 1 Corinthians 3)
Our God is willing, our God is able, our God is mighty. He is mighty to save and sanctify EVERY part of our lives. He is not willing for any of our works to be burnt up. But we can only please Him in everything if we deeply abide in Him. If we abide in Him, we will find that salvation is a full experience. Let's seek God for every aspect of His Will.
Let's ask Him for every single detail. Let's choose the very best path, so that He can delight in us. Do you know when God wants you to wake up tomorrow? If not, what does He think about the way you dress? Does He want you to pray for a particular neighbor? Does He want you to live where you do? Do not expect to discern these things if you are living in the world. We can only see a larger part (see 1 Corinthians 13) if we have taken on His purity. It takes a transformed mind and a walk in His Spirit to please Him in all. Let's commit to this.
Remember, God want to guide you continually. He wants you to enjoy favor in all things you do. There is a price to pay, but it is worth it. Entering the fullness of salvation is worthy of counting the cost. Put Him first, and He will direct you.
Confirmed 12/15: This post is a confirmation of the "asking" theme. Like the post says, never be afraid to ask for directions! Vanessa and I like to call them 'navigational commands'. We need to ask if we want to receive fully.
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