Koinonia

"I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ."

~Philemon 1:6

A couple days ago I was praying in the spirit and kept hearing a distinct word: koinonia.  I thought it sounded familiar, and soon enough, the Holy Spirit began bringing me teachings and explanations of the term.  That was enough to make me realize that I'd already been living out the concept of koinonia recently in my own life.  Cool!

God wants us to live by this faith and with this word written on our hearts:  

"On earth as it is in Heaven".  

He wants us to experience Him and talk to Him, and then attract others into this blissful realm.  When Yahshua was transfigured on the Mount and talked with Moses and Elijah, He pulled others right into the Heavenly realms with Him.  Peter and John and James were included in this glory, even though it was almost too much for them.  

Heaven has to get out somehow - why not through you?  Once you're there, and only once you're there, can you freely give.  Only then can we talk to others within the confines of Yah's Heavenly Kingdom. Others can learn from us, and we can learn from others!  Contentment is key to pure communication.   If we rely on the contentment of God, than we can be content to flow out to others.  There's an attraction to God within somebody.  This is a fruit that can't help but be fruitful: the fruit of love.  Here's what Francois du Toit has to say about it:

"The Koinonia (communication) of our faith is ignited by the acknowledging of every good thing that is in us in Christ!"


Heavenly Father, let the cry of our hearts be for us to experience more of Your Love, and for us to love You back in turn.  Increase the hunger of our spirits within us and the calling out of our souls.  Let Your presence in us draw us to the right people in the right places at just the right time.  Let us always be a magnification of Your Love, and stretch us and mold us to conform to Your glory.  Draw us to friends who can stretch us and teach us new things, and let us live and talk and think in the light of Your Presence. Make us like you, Lord, and teach us something new today.  

Freedom: It's Contagious

"...That the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God."  

Romans 8:21

Based on this verse, our freedom goes out from us.  It begins within, in Yah's presence, and is released through us.  Freedom is contagious,more contagious than sin or disease.  Our Freedom has the ability to purify our natural environment.

When we are experience fullness of freedom as children of God, when we are celebrating who we really are -- that's when the Kingdom advances.  It's just like the implanted word (James 1:21) and the mustard seed (Matthew 13:31). Your Heavenly Father wants this presence within you to grow and grow and grow until others find shelter with you!  He wants to expand your tents and increase your authority (Isaiah 54:2).

The truth is that we are so free that our freedom liberates our surrounding -- even nature.  The creation itself will be set free from the natural order of things by coming into contact with His offspring.  By coming into contact with YOU!  This is the "Kingdom Leaven" that Yahshua spoke about (Matthew 13:33).  He wants to bless others through you.  He wants purity, holiness, and conviction to flow out through you.  He wants you to cause atmosphere shifts. Like a peacemaker (Matthew 5:9)

How many of us have really experienced this?  Vanessa and I have experienced weather miracles many times now.  We've seen how our Father is is control of the climate and the wind and even all the creatures He's made.  We've seen how animals respond to the good news of Messiah (Mark 16:15)-- it's fun talking to birds and cats and bunnies!  But have we made this confidence in God a way of life?

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Yahshua Messiah took hold of me."

~Philippians 3:12

FREEDOOOOMMM!

Last night God gave me a dream where I was undergoing a teaching.  It was on freedom.  In the dream, the Holy Spirit showed me Romans 8:21:

"...that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God."  

Glorious freedom.  Thank you Father.  Do any of us really know what that's like?  Do we understand what it means to possess glorious freedom?  I don't think so, not yet.  Not with a full measure, yet this is exactly what Yahshua has promised (Luke 6:38).  He wants us to know; we're His family, kings in His kingdom (Proverbs 25:2)!

In my dream, there was such a liberation.  I instantly knew that God had just given me a key to abide. When I heard Romans 8:21, it was written on my heart in a new way.  It was so powerful, and the power was there to effortlessly provide.

That's what our Heavenly Father gives us power for -- to get closer to Him.  It's not for our giftings or callings so much as it was for Him.  From Him for me for Him!

It was an awesome experience of peace and contentment.  If you haven't already, ask Elohim to give you heavenly dreams!  He is faithful, and He will do it (1 Thessalonians 5:24).  Let's all taste and see that Yahweh is good (Psalms 34:8).

Gateway Drugs?

I've been hearing a lot about the supposed dangers of "gateway drugs" recently.  Actually, gateway everything...gateway animals like chickens, gateway plants such as tomatoes, etc.  Huh.

Recently we had some friends over and there was a discussion on this topic (drugs, not chickens). And they were saying that marijuana, or cannabis, is one of (several?) initial "gateway drugs" that would inevitably lead to worse things.  I disagree, though that's not the major point here.

So, I got to thinking about it...what would qualify as a gateway drug?  And which of these supposed drugs, if any, pushes us down the slipper slope to harder stuff like heroin, cocaine, or meth?

If we were to look at this question objectively, we'd see that cannabis wouldn't be the first "drug" we're exposed to.  How far back do we really want to go?  Back to the beginning?

For example, marijuana couldn't be the foremost gateway drug out there.  Many people try alcohol and liquor before they try smoking weed.  So, do we want to say that vodka or beer or wine inevitably leads to "worse" stuff?  Objectively, we need to go back further.

Let's stereotype caffeine as the first gateway drug out there -- that is, the first inherently addictive substance that many people get into.  Coffee?  Is coffee the problem?  Probably not, as kids typically spend years drinking soda before they get hooked on coffee.  So, is caffeine the problem?  Or is it the HFCS or artificial colors in soda?  We might be led to suspect that soda is the problem.  No, actually, it's probably the sugar.  Actually, it's probably the MSG that's in all your kid's favorite snacks.  

We could take this whole line of thinking way back.  Maybe the pleasure babies get as they drink their Mother's breast milk is the problem.  Maybe that initial endorphin trigger sets up these babies to be dependent on mind altering "drugs" for the rest of their life.  Is that really how it works?

Can you see where the projection of this faulty mindset of criminalizing natural substances like beer or cannabis leads us?  It's an attack both on the gifts of God and the way He intentionally programmed humanity.  Many Christians are stuck in a Greek-oriented philosophy that stemmed from guys like Plato and Aristotle -- not from Messiah or the Scriptures.  Many Christians are under the enslaving illusion that the spiritual world is good and the natural world is bad.  That's Gnosticism, not Christianity.

The point I'm trying to make is that there are "gateway drugs" everywhere.  We're exposed to them at virtually all ages at virtually all points in our life.  Cannabis is not the problem; it's no more at fault in creating heroin addictions than Cheetos or red wine.

Maybe, just maybe, people were designed for pleasure!  Maybe pleasure is a good thing.  Maybe the Creator of all these wonderful substances, whatever they are (with the exception of synthetic chemicals and drugs), created them to be a blessing to us and not a snare or perceived temptation. Maybe it's not the food or drink or herb or tincture that that goes into a person's body that's the problem (Matthew 15:11).

I like wine.  I like hard root beer.  I like these cute little tropical drinks Vanessa makes me with sparkling soda and mango vodka.  But I'm not addicted  to them (1 Cor. 6:12).  They don't distract me from God. They actually inspire me to give thanks to God (1 Tim. 4:4)!

The thing that safeguards us is not the avoidance of this or that potentially addictive substance (Colossians 1:21). Messiah set you free from those kinds of rules, if you'll believe it.

The thing that keeps us away from any sort of addiction is an addiction and fixation with God.  You were made for pleasure, emotional highs, ecstatic experiences and bliss (Hebrews 9:11).  And all of these things flow out from Him.  You can't really get bored with the Creator.  And if you think you can, you're putting unscriptural limitations on Him!

"You make known to me the path of life; in your Presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore."                    ~Psalm 16:11

To have God is to know He has you (Song of Songs 6:3). To have a love for God is to have true pleasure.  He is your only authentic gateway drug and the realm you must enter into (Matthew 7:13-14); once you taste Jesus, you can't go back (Psalm 34:8)(Ephesians 1:13)!  You're free to love Him and let everything else flow out from that.  To paraphrase St. Augustine:

"Love God and do whatever you please: for the soul trained in love to God will do nothing to offend the One who is Beloved."

The Tree of Life in You

In the garden of Eden, there were two trees.  One was permitted and beneficial; one was off limits to Adam and Eve.  The One tree gave truth; the other gave knowledge.  The One gave freedom; the other gave religion.

Anyways, this post is about the Tree of Life!

"After I was baptized with the Holy Ghost the Lord gave me a blessed revelation. I saw Adam and Eve turned out of the garden for their disobedience and unable to partake of the tree of life, for the cherubim with flaming sword kept them away from this tree. When I was baptized I saw that I had begun to eat of this tree of life and I saw that the flaming sword was all round about. It was there to keep the devil away."     ~Smith Wigglesworth

Isn't that wonderful?  Jesus is the tree of life.  And He's on the inside know. We've left the covering of the Law (Gal. 3:25) and entered into the covering of the Almighty, the Garden of Eden.  In a sense, the believer embodies the garden of Eden; and Yahshua walks amongst us within.

Wigglesworth also said that he was a thousand times bigger on the outside than on the inside.  It took me a while to get a grasp on that.  But God wants us to be on the inside, looking out.  Yahweh wants us to understand just how overflowing the fullness of God can get (Ephesians 3:19).

So, what was Wigglesworth referring to when he said that?  The Tree of Life, that's what -- the expansion of the Kingdom (Matthew 13:32), the vibration of life within.  This is the tree that Yahweh prunes (John 15:1), the Tree in which we are commanded to abide (John 15:4).

See, the word starts in your spirit, planted as just a seed (John 15:4). The Holy Spirit may scatter more than a few seeds into your heart before you accept it, and that's OK ()!  Eventually, though, hearing is mixed with faith, and you've got a little tree (Romans 10:17)!

And God takes that tree and cares for it.  He protects you from spiritual warfare (Psalms 105:15).  He shelters you and allows you to grow.  And the more you grow, the more exposure there can be to the elements. Some of your spiritual 'branches' may fall outside the protection of those angels with flaming swords.

It's about when the operation of the Spirit works in you and through you that you've reached maturity. If nourished, those little branches will grow up, out, and provide a resting place for others!  If left to the Father's care, He'll cause such growth in you that your influence far exceeds yourself.

Allow God to prune you.  Allow Him to prune off the bad parts; allow Him to burn them away. Allow the cherubim to guard you (Gen. 3:24).  If you go past His instruction, the same fire that's designed to protect you might just singe a little.  Allow Yahweh to be your purifying fire (Hebrews 12:29).

It feels good to feel that burn.  Allow Him to sift through your life and make you more and more fruitful (John 15:2).  There's always room for improvement!  There's always room to grow.  God wants to give you greater territory, greater gifts, greater responsibilities.  Are you ready for it?

The Revelator: The Kingdom Within

"From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and forceful people lay hold of it."  

~Matthew 11:12

We have the Kingdom within us.  You have the Lion of Judah, the source of all revelation and understanding, living and breathing in you.  It's a heavy, glorious thing to lay hold of that!  It's an enormous thing to get a grasp on.

A camel may not pass through the eye of a needle, but Jesus has entered through the passageway of your heart. He's unlocked the Kingdom in you, from the inside out.  He's given you life, love, energy; He's given you faith and works.  He's given you understanding.  He's given you an endless, effortless supply of resources needed for the life He's called you to.  

This Kingdom has met some opposition along the way -- but it's here now.  There was a lot of clashes in the spiritual realm just prior to Yahshua!  The enemy knew what was coming.

In the same way, there's warfare around us now.  The kingdom within is bombarded with lies, deception, doubts, and attacks from the enemy.  There's outside darkness.  Yet the Holy Spirit within is greater.  The Holy Spirit within carries us onward -- whatever it takes.  The Kingdom of Heaven has been gotten hold of, and it continues to be received by those who long for it.

And it continues to be received by you!  There will be turbulence, but God's momentum within is forcefully advancing.  You are the Tent of Meeting, and He's enlarging your borders, enlarging your tents.  He's taking back ground, He's renewing you.  He's the only reason that you've already arrived.

All Things Together

 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love Yahweh, to them who are the called according to His purpose."        ~Romans 8:28

If you love God, you have become among the called!  I like to say that God chooses you as soon as you choose Him.  Or is it the other way around?  I don't believe that either Calvinism nor Armenianism are sufficient to describe His ways (Isaiah 55:9). Anyways, "His purpose" is divine love, and if we included in that, then we'll especially love Him.


"They continue this day according to Thine ordinances: for all are Thy servants."        ~Psalm 119:91

What "continues[s] to this day"?  Well, according to the preceding verse, all things of the earth continue.  God's overruling of the physical world continues.  God's glory in the big things and the small continue.  He's still on the throne.  And all things He's created -- everything -- works for our Heavenly Father, just the way He wants it to.  Everything serves Him.

You have the Spirit of Yahweh within you.  Isn't that beautiful?  I think it is.  There is a depth of God's power inside that never had to run dry (Zechariah 4 and context).  This is reality for believers today, and because God is on the outside and the inside, all things are serving you.

Things are working together for you.  Not just some things, but "all things".  God may very well be breathing life into inanimate objects, breathing His Spirit into the little details (Psalm 37:23) and greater depths of your life, so that all things weave and work together for you.  You'll see your schedule fall right into place, you'll never be too busy, and people will randomly encourage you at needed times -- even unbelievers.  They're His servants too, remember?

You'll buy the right books, read the right books, meet the right people and make the right friends. They are all your servants (as you are theirs, Galatians 5:13), all because you serve Him.

You're for Him, and He's for you. There is an attractive power in being a child of God.  Now, bad things still happen to good people (see the book of Job for examples of this), but if we really believed what Romans 8:28 says about our Heavenly Father's sovereignty, would we consider anything bad???  I don't think so.  Life is beautiful and pure and free!  Nothing would be allowed, good or "bad", if it wasn't breathed out into existence with the all-knowing power of the living word.

All things are lifting you up to the heavens, and all things are pulling the heavens down into you (Luke 17:21). Yahweh wants you to be close to Him!

Prophesying The Word

Prophesying over someone is an interesting thing.  In general, the more faith you have, the more clearly you can receive from the Holy Spirit and give prophecy to someone else (Romans 12:6). General prophetic words are good, and so are specific ones! Yet there is a safer, 'easier' way to prophecy that can sometimes be overlooked.

"Then Yahweh said to me, 'You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it.'"  Jeremiah 1:12

The written word of Yahweh stands forever.  It is the most sure word of prophecy (2 Peter 1:19).  It cannot fail, because God Himself is watching over it.

In a sense, the written Word is an example of 'self-fulfilling prophecy'.  Our Heavenly Father fulfills it!  The promises of God are a self-sowing seed.  They are enough, and they will bear fruit without any outside human help.  These written promises are the "smallest seeds" that, even without observation or assistance, soon blossom and provide covering for the oppressed (Matthew 13:32).  

Once we've released the Word as prophecy, we've done our job.  We don't have to think about it.  We don't even have to pray about it (although those things are wonderful). This kind of prophetic word is inhabited by the Wind of the Spirit, and the Holy Spirit can take care of things from there.

If we prophecy over someone out of love, just imagine how much more Love the Father has for that person. And how much more eager is He in intending to show it!  He takes it from there. There is a trust activated after we release personal prophecy.  We need to know that God is faithful--more faithful than we are.

This is all something I've been learning.  Sometimes the Holy Spirit will tell me a verse, like "Psalm 33:8".  I don't have that verse memorized, but He does (He's got a better memory, too)!  And whenever He shows you something, it usually pertains to something you're going to right now. 

Prophesying Proverbs 24:4 over someone is a perfect example of this kind of thing.  Whether you prophecy a verse you know, or a verse number you don't know, God is going to back it!  He's the One who brings the important to your remembrance.  He's the One who teaches you how to prophecy, and He's the One who teaches you how to pray.

Who knows, Prov. 24:4 may just be a life verse for that person.  It may guide them in 30 years when they're opening up a Bed and Breakfast.  The important thing is to hear the passion of the Spirit.

Just an Update: Rest

Back to the blog.  Vanessa and I have both been busy since my last post back in September!  She's working on a music video, and I'm trying to learn guitar, so I can play with her in the future.  Fun!

God's been teaching us to rest.  He's showing us that what we do doesn't really matter--at least not compared to what He did.  It's a fresh measure of grace.  He's showing us how to switch from a work mentality to a rest mentality.

"Yahshua answered:  this is the work of Elohim: to believe in the One He has sent"

John 6:29

That's the work of God!  See, the only work we do is having faith in His Son.  And at the point that we have faith, we can enter into His rest (Hebrews 4:1).  The only work we have to do is enter into the promised land, and since we're already there in God's eyes, all we have to do is believe it. Anyone who chooses to believe can live in Heaven on earth.  You have already arrived.

I'm not saying that life is easy or perfect.  I've had a very up and down last few months.  There have been times when I'm not joyful, when I don't feel like praying, or when I feel depressed.  And those things are unusual for me.  But the difference is that the pressure is off.

Yahweh has been luring me back in (Hosea 2:14).  Even though many days I haven't tried to 'press in' or pray in tongues all day, God is still there. He's speaking to me more clearly than ever, showing me things to come.  He's giving me beautiful dreams and visions.   

All this is not because of me.  All I've done is get bogged down in my weaknesses.  But God sees His Son in me.  I don't have to impress Him; I get to be impressed by Him!

The future is still bright.  It's brighter than ever!  Our hope is in His Glory--which is Christ in us. (Colossians 1:27)

From now on, I'll continue updating the blog.  Hopefully almost every day.  God's always doing something amazing, so I'll try to document some of that!

  

 

A Silver Cord Connection to Heaven?

I was at work last week when God showed me something that got me soo excited.  And the verse started coming....

"Remember him--before the silver cord is severed..."        Ecclesiastes 12:6

We need to believe God at His word.  See, all are called to become sons and daughter, but to be chosen, we have to remember (Matthew 22:14).  We all have to believe Jesus!

Our true identity is in Him.  Our true birth is the second one--from above, from heaven.  Creation longs for our awakening and realization of the life Jesus is taking us to (Romans 8:22).

Jesus answered him, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, that unless a person is born again (anew, from above), he cannot ever see (know, be acquainted with, and experience) the kingdom of God.

John 3:3, AMP

Once we realize this, once we conceptualize that our citizenship is of heaven, we will walk in an upward call.  The earth won't have such a hold on us!

See, the silver cord is the substance of our lifeline to the Father, to the heavenly realm.  We receive an influx of our daily bread 24/7.  We receive constant nourishment and a table is set for us wherever we go, even in the presence of our enemies (Psalms 23:5).  We yield to Christ in us, the Kingdom of heaven within us (Luke 17:21)--we yield to the hope of glory (Col 1:27).  It's an upward call.

See, the silver cord connects your spirit and your body.  And once you believe, you are part of the body of Christ--which has been raised up with Him into the heavenly places! It's your brand new umbilical cord!  And it won't be severed.  There's a call for all to remember Him.

"And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus..."

Ephesians 2:6

We have this connection to the Father whether we feel like it or not.  When we believe, we receive! You don't have to pray for peace--it's within you.  You don't have to pray for life--it's been there since you first believed.  Just lay hold of it (Matthew 11:12).  Lay hold of it and yield to God's truth, and His life will flow.  The stream that makes glad the city of God is within you(Psalm 46:4)!

Ever wonder why the Spirit flows out from your belly?  It's because that's where your connection is! That's where the silver cord brings union. That's where you're knit to Jesus.

"He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water."

John 7:38

*Amazing confirmation:  Less than 10 minutes after I got home and told this whole thing to Vanessa, our Mom, without having any idea what we had been talking about, insists that I see a certain picture that she'd taken a few days before.  Here it is:

(The brightest ray is coming from the belly--from the cross!)

Video Journal: Interceding by Faith

"Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up"  Luke 18:1

"With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints"                                      Ephesians 6:18

When we pray in the Spirit, we will have the spiritual realm in view.  God will give us insight and show us how to pray.  The insight God gives will make us on the alert.  The insight God gives will be exciting.

God will give you the mind of Christ.  He'll show you how to pray and intercede by faith, so you can partner with Him on behalf of others.

Realize that everything God says can be accepted by faith.  Everything God does needs to be accepted by faith! You can think of faith as the force that opens the door to the next thing God has for you.

If intercession isn't a privilege, then you're not doing it from a heavenly perspective, nor by faith.  It wasn't fun for me for the longest time.  Intercession becomes a joy when you're praying for others and feeling God's love for them.  That's what it's all about!

When you're interceding with God, it's no longer a heavy burden.  Praying by faith produces tangible results.  If we as believers will just pray according to God's heart, then we'll see the faith of God shift things!  We'll see His hand line things up.  And most importantly, we'll see things on earth become as they are in Heaven.  We'll see the Kingdom of God surround our lives and situations.

Mark Four: Mysteries and Parables

So, onto the second part of Mark four.  Jesus gives the disciples several other parables and explains to them that these parables speak of Kingdom mysteries.


 Later, when Jesus was alone with the twelve disciples and with the others who were gathered around, they asked him what the parables meant.

He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secret of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables for everything I say to outsiders, so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled:

‘When they see what I do,
    they will learn nothing.
When they hear what I say,
    they will not understand.
Otherwise, they will turn to me
    and be forgiven.’” 

Mark 4:10-12


It's taken me a little while to realize, but God still speaks in parables today.  And He does so in a way that is modeled by how Jesus did so for His disciples.  Often I'll perform an everyday task, just going through the motions, when the Lord reveals to me a parable relating to what I just did.  God wants to turn even the little things into a learning experience for us.  He wants to give us revelation and understanding on the big things by speaking to our minds as we work on the small.

It is a great feeling when you are working on something, and then the Lord begins to speak.  He tells you the symbolism behind what you just did, and how you essentially just walked out a Kingdom principle by your actions.  He gives you a now word that reveals a new segment of truth.  Our God wants to redeem every bit of our time--provided we are using it to try to please Him (Ephesians 5:16).  He wants to re-purpose the ordinary and turn it into an opportunity to learn from Him.  He wants to speak to us through parables!

And it's within our own minds and in our time alone with the Lord that He reveals to us something that unbelievers just wouldn't understand.  He reveals a spiritual truth out of the ordinary, and as we spend more time with Him, He imparts more and more.   The parable may be played out in public, but the interpretation, the knowing, comes with His inner stillness as we take time to put our attention onto Him.


Then he added, “Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given—and you will receive even more. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.”

Mark 4:24-25


There is no end to the depth of revelation we can find in a parable.  God can just keep giving more and more!  He may symbolize His love by our action first, and as we go deeper into the parable's symbolism, He can then reveal a message of spiritual giftedness, too.  If we listen, He will continue to speak.  If we listen more closely, He will speak more deeply!  We can be comforted in knowing that if we try, God will come in and equip us with all the understanding we need to discern what He's saying.

We need to take every message from God seriously.  Every word from Him gives life, and every parable from Him gives understanding.  If we have an ear to hear, He can speak to us nonstop!  He can redeem every action, and turn it into a parable or an opportunity to learn.  God wants to speak to us about even the little things--He wants to give us that 'blessed assurance' even while we work on smaller tasks.

Confirmed:  The Lord spoke to me about Mark four yesterday afternoon, and in the evening, I came across a new word on the Elijah list.  It's called "God Has a Specific Word Waiting For You", and for me, it in itself was a very specific word, as it ties in so closely to what God had just been showing me!  So cool.  That's the link, if you have time to read it.   

Snapshot: Fire

While Vanessa and I were on our way back up to Maine, the Lord began speaking to me about 'Fire'.  There are both good fires (involving purity and power) and bad fires (involving punishment and judgement).  I felt Him speak to my heart about the Godly side of this--the fires of purity and power.

"That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ..."
--1 Peter 1:7

There is the purifying work of the Holy Spirit--His cleansing power within us (1 John 1:7).  That's what the above verse testifies to.  God tries us with fire so that He can burn up things that would otherwise hinder us.  He tries our faith by allowing trials in our lives.  This is purity, as I described in a recent blog post.

"I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."
--Matthew 3:11

And then there is the "power" work of the Holy Spirit--His ministry within us.  This is what's next, after initial purification and trials.  Once we've had impurities taken out, burned out, then we can really have the love of God move through us.  We must be purified first.

"Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood And has not sworn deceitfully."
--Psalm 24:3-4

We can get up onto the mountaintop with God, and we can live there comfortably.  We can commune with the Lord and have His radiance transform us (Galatians 3:27).  Then we can have a flowing out, from Him, that is totally unhindered.  This is where the Kingdom of Heaven is manifested in our lives.  This is when we experience a baptism of fire.  This is where we move in God's power and He establishes and then overshadows us.  This is where we reached the beginnings of the fullness of life that Jesus promised us.

Confirmed:  On the drive back up here, the Lord prompted me to look up to a truck that said, 'Ring of Fire' on it.  Prior to that, I had seen another truck that said, 'Ring's end'.  And I had felt God signifying the end of one long season, and a new beginning in this season of the Baptism in Fire.  for me, rings have represented seasons based on the promises of God.  He puts rings onto us, and He himself wears us as a ring--just look at King Zerubbabel.  (For more on the symbolism behind rings, look at this blog post.

Confirmed:  A little later on the drive, I read the back of yet another ' quickened truck' and it appeared to say, 'Inner City Fire'.  I thought, hey, that would be symbolic for a powerful inner city revival!  Seeing people set on fire for Jesus, as the Holy Spirit brought power, love, and conviction to those who have been lost.  Praise the Lord!  That's what we want to see, and that's what we will see, as God attains to it.  As it turns out, the truck said 'Tire' instead of 'Fire', but I give the Holy Spirit credit for ensuring His message got across.

Confirmed:  That same night, after we had finished segment two of our drive, I stumbled across a Todd White video that described the baptism of fire.  Wow Lord!  Here is the video...

"Do This, Do That" Versus Freedom

He who said to them, "Here is rest, give rest to the weary," And, "Here is repose," but they would not

listen. So the word of the LORD to them will be, "Order on order, order on order, Line on line, line 

on line, A little here, a little there," That they may go and stumble backward, be broken, snared and 

taken captive.              --Isaiah 28:12-13--

The Lord led me here a few days ago....this is an interesting passage.  For me, it was a call to change. God doesn't desire to give us rule after rule; He doesn't want to make us stumble.  He doesn't want to take away all of our freedoms or surround us with impossible regulations (Lamentations 3:5).  As I said in a previous post, God doesn't desire to hand us over to a reprobate mind.  And He doesn't want to cause us to stumble.

But sometimes we need to change and return to God, and He causes us to stumble.  He does this so that we can hit rock bottom, and then turn and be healed!  He does this out of Love.  God Himself may become to us an oppressor if He knows that trials and testing will cause an eventual return.

"If you stay in this land, I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you, for I have relented concerning the disaster I have inflicted on you."                 Jeremiah 42:10

God can and does change His mind.  God can and does change the way He interacts with people.  He does this based on our actions.  God wants to give freedom, but He will not give it if the receivers use it for their own glory.  For the worldly minded, God gives rules, regulations, and incessant demands.   This is what Isaiah 28:13 is talking about.  

I witness this in my own life.  When I have strayed from focusing on God, God strays from talking about Himself to me.  Instead, His direction takes a practical, even oppressive, turn.  The Lord may prompt me to do some chores or talk to someone.  He may instruct me in a way that takes away my freedom (Jeremiah 34:17).  What we are to Him, that He will become to us (Psalms 18:26).

If we are not thinking about Him, God will add to the yoke on our shoulders until it becomes to much for us to bear.  He wants us to ask for help!  He wants us to fix our minds on Him.  This is the better way.  If we are loving God, all else will be added to us.  If we are abiding by His Spirit, that's when there is freedom.  That's when there is liberty (2 Corinthians 3:17).  

If we are in the Spirit, then we will be instructed in spiritual things and be pointed towards God.  That is God's desire.  If we are in the Spirit, then we will have freedom to think anything good about God. We will be free to do anything God for God.  We will not be subjected by God to "order upon order", because Jesus in us has already fulfilled all of the law.  Once we are operating in the Kingdom, then can we have other things, too (Matthew 6:33).

We can be free to sing, free to express joy, free to worship God in everything we do.  Why persist in subtle rebellion?  God wants to make us slaves to righteousness (Romans 6:18); He wants to give us a light yoke (Matthew 11:30).  Let's allow God to approve of us, so that He can give us freedom.  Let's show Him that the gifts He's given us are able to shine through and glorify Him alone.

Good Gates, Bad Gates

God has been teaching Vanessa and I about spiritual territories recently.  He's been teaching us about their boundaries, their influences, and especially their gates.  There are good and bad territories, and there are good and bad gates.  These spiritual territories either belong to God as part of His Kingdom, or they belong to satan as an area of darkness.

These are not areas marked by physical boundaries or gates or fences. Instead, they are marked by rulers, authorities, and powers within this dark world and by spiritual forces in the next (Ephesians 6:12).  Territories are either for or against Jesus--there is no middle ground.  There is a constant battle at the gates--the Kingdom of Heaven versus the influences of hell.

"Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters."  Matthew 12:30

As believers, we have been given spiritual authority to advance the Kingdom and push back darkness. We have been given power to pull down idols and spirits of idols.  We have been given the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven.  And we have been given the sword of the Spirit, which makes the enemy scatter and brings together the good.  This is something Jesus referred to in Matthew 12:30 above. We have been given authority to prove God's cause and cast away anything that opposes it.

"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 12:12

We need to learn "that which is perfect". We need to bring this weapon of truth out into the world.  God can work through us to pull down the gates.  We can dismantle the manifestations of wickedness which were birthed in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:12 again), and prevent these things from continuing to have their way with the earth and it's people.  With His Spirit and His power, we can cast down anything contrary to God.  We can prepare the way for the Kingdom.  We can make way for the Lord, and usher in an environment where He can set up His Kingdom.

As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: "A voice of one calling in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'"  John 1:23

This is what John the baptist did, and this is what God wants us to do, each in their appointed way. Through our warfare we should be working through the territories of the enemy and bringing out from within us the Kingdom of God.  We too can pave the way for the Lord.  We too can push back the gates.

How do we do this?  By words of faith and prayers in faith.  It takes faith from God to see our words impact the spiritual world.  It takes faith to move mountains, faith to move spiritual areas, and faith to remove ruling spirits.  Faith is a gift that in itself gives us divine power.

"...for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God,.."       2 Corinthians 10:4-5

John by his words was speaking for the Holy Spirit.  By his words, John the baptist was dismantling religious spirits and changing the spiritual climate in his area.  He was fighting against the old way, against the established authorities, against anything that might set itself up against the true knowledge of God.  The Light that he pointed towards destroyed hypocritical speculation and hardened hearts.

John himself was blessed by God to be used like He was.  His life had such significance--it even served to forcefully advance the Kingdom.  Through the spiritual fighting he did, even the darkness resisting Jesus suffered violence.

"From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force"     Matthew 11:12

God wants to give us faith, authority, and boldness.  He wants to give us divine power.  He wants to make us more like Jesus.  How?  By giving to our lives the fullness of God.  By giving to our words some of the power present within His.  He wants us to speak with His authority.  He wants His glory to back us.  He wants to gift to us attributes, character traits, thoughts, prayers and mindsets that make us more like His Son.

We should be full of the power and force of God.  We need to reach our potential in Christ Jesus. When were are full of spiritual gifts and spiritual tools from Him, then and only then can we be truly impacting in the spiritual realm.  Only when we are full of His Spirit can we speak with enough power to push back darkness and advance the Kingdom.

"How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; they will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate."    Psalm 127:5

Snapshot: Putting on The Armor

A few months ago, I felt the Lord leading me to pray for my spiritual armor everyday.  To my regret, I haven't been completely faithful in this.  I've since came to a heart change, and now pray into this and put on my armor everyday.  To quote a commercialized catchphrase, the origin of which currently escapes me,  "Oh, what a relief it is!"

"Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one."  

Ephesians 6:13-16

The truth is that God has equipped us with our spiritual armor since the time we first believed--and perhaps before then, too.  Heaven's reality says that our armor has been, is, and always will be in place.  Why, then, do we need to constantly apply and reapply it?  Why do we need to continually pray for something that has already been given to us?

The answer lies in renewing our minds.  We need to come into agreement with God and the Light.  Spiritually, we need to identify with Him.  We need to clothe ourselves with His protective covering so that the enemy knows exactly who we belong to.

“Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land."  Job 1:10

God has done this.  He has put our spiritual armor on for us.  In today's terms, He has placed around us a forcefield of spiritual safety.  If we forget these things, though, then we are at risk.  There is power in our thoughts, and there is even more power in our words.  We need both of these to agree with God.  We need both of these to know what God has given us.

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." John 8:31-32

Jesus said that hearing the truth is not enough.  We need to know it!  We need to know it and agree with God.  Once we come into His knowledge with renewed minds, that's when the truth is activated in this world.  That's when we are able to be made free.  Once we confess with our words and know in our hearts (Romans 10:9), that's when our spiritual armor becomes more of a reality than this present life.

So, we agree with God that we have on His Armor.  We take up the shield of faith, and use it to deflect and deny every message that satan tries to send us.  And we surround our heads--our minds-- with the helmet of salvation, which is the Word of God.   We meditate on the Word and think about God and His faithfulness.

This is how we resist the enemy.  This is how we never lose the joy of our salvation.  This is how we  position ourselves for going from Glory to Glory!  He wants to keep us in perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3), and with this armor He's made a way.  God never gives any promise that we are unable to fulfill.

Confirmed:  Last Sunday a church friend was led to share with Vanessa and I the importance of putting on our spiritual armor every single day.  That was God's reminder to me!

Confirmed:  Another reminder came through Rick Warren's daily devotional.  I'm no longer subscribed via email, but these devotionals still manage slip through to my inbox occasionally.  God's timing is so perfect!  I received one called, "Fighting the Enemies of Good Intentions".  The pieces were put together for me.  The enemies here are the devil and his spiritual forces.  We fight them with God's armor!  It is our spiritual armor that allows us to retain good intentions.  It is God's protection that allows us to seek Him and stay covered.  It is His Armor that equips us to fight the enemy's evil with good.

Victory and Overcoming

As believers, we are in a battle.  We are living in a land that is not our own.  We are living in a constant battle, constantly warring and battling against the powers of this world.  If we are not growing in our walk with the Lord, then we are at risk of missing out.  We are opening the door to the enemy coming in and taking the Word out of our hearts.

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
Ephesians 6:12

We are fighting in this battle against the attempts of the enemy, which are meant to take us away from God.  Satan is always at work trying to make us slip back to where we were.  He is constantly trying to make us doubt God and believe a lie.  He tries to wreck our bodies and our peace of mind--to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10).

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."  John 16:33

We are not immune from the sins of others or the schemes of the enemy.  We are, in fact, destined to have trouble in this world.  We are going to be fighting the enemy until the day we die.  We won't be completely out of his reach until we die and get to heaven.  Satan is intent on trying to cause even the strongest believers to fall away.

But Jesus has won the victory.  He was tempted by the devil, but he came through it.  He achieved the victory by living a sinless life, giving up Himself and conquering the grave.  He embodied love and truth in everything He did.

Yesterday I received a vision where I placed a signet ring on my finger.  The Father has often given me visions of signet rings as a form of encouragement as seen in Haggai 2:23.  In this vision, though, there was a unique twist.  I saw that on the top of the ring there was a small human figure with arms raised.  I was given the 'knowing' to understand that this vision symbolized the Lord's opportunity to LIVE in victory.

Jesus was the first to be victorious, and He was the first to live life to the fullest.  He came not to be served but to serve (Mark 10:45), but He still came out on the upside of everything He did.  He lived with joy that couldn't be disrupted by chaos, and He lived through so much, yet never lost His peace (John 14:27).

And He died for our freedom.  His sacrifices defeated the enemy once and for all.  He set a template of perfection and showed us a way that we could respond to the world.  He showed us how to make the most of every opportunity.  Jesus Himself gave His authority to us, if we are indeed sons of God.  Satan tried to make Him stumble again and again, but Jesus always came out victorious.  And we now have a life to aspire to.  We can commit our actions to the firstborn of many brethren (Romans 8:29), then observe as He takes us to that place of being His friend.

Thanks to Jesus, we've been made overcomers.  The same Holy Spirit that animated Him is waiting inside us to respond perfectly to any and every situation.  The sinless being that lived His life is living in us, too.  So we can be victorious in every moment of our day!  We can be victorious within our areas of influence and our families, and together form a band of overcomers.

There is power in numbers.  A cord of three strands is not easily broken (Ecclesiastes 4:12).Within a band of believers is all the power that Jesus ever had. This was His doing--it was His choice to give us authority.  King David loved to see believers band together (Psalms 133:1).  He had experienced such a revelation of what happened in that type of meeting.  He realized that overcoming could be found there.  He realized that's when God comes in (Matthew 18:20), and that's when we wage war victoriously.  He understood from experience that the body is where the Kingdom is built.  This authority in Jesus is what causes us to overcome Hades and this world.

"I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven."  Matthew 6:18-19

Confirmed:  Later on in the day yesterday, a new word was released from the Elijah list--"Overcoming all in 2015"  Below is an excerpt , in italics...with bolded parts for emphasis, of course.


Whether applied to our personal or corporate lives, there is a need for us to receive of the prophetic anointing to live overcoming lives. In this year be encouraged that God has only good plans in store.

God has called His people to ascend into the high places of His Presence. The enemy would have us stay "earth-bound" keeping us from soaring as eagles in prophetic vision and purpose, seeing from Heaven's view. Worship causes us to ascend in the Spirit experiencing the glory and Presence of God, also simultaneously filling out spiritual tanks to walk in victory.

I recently had a dream where a prophet was singing "Eagles fly and walk the earth" over and over again. The truth is we live in two different realms of existence. In the natural we walk the earth, and in the Spirit we soar and fly with a view being seated with Christ in heavenly realms. With this understanding, we must also arm ourselves with the truth that we need to fight through worship-warfare to take ground in the Spirit.


Here is an added dimension.  Together as one body we can overcome, and we can use our spiritual gifts to do so.  So let's eagerly desire the greater gifts and the spirit of prophecy(1 Corinthians 14:1)!  Let's join together, with each living in His Victory.  Let's do this until the point that we can testify that He's overcome the world.  Let's be victorious in every moment over the enemy and his wishes for us to follow the flesh.  Let's allow His Spirit to work through us and be achieve victory and peace in every single moment of our daily lives.  In the midst of confusion and trouble,  let's make overcoming our lifestyle.

Snapshot: Water onto the Path

Yesterday God gave me a vision where I saw water being poured from a glass.  In past visions this has represented being "poured out" for the good of others.  But this time, there was another element added to the message.  I saw that the water was being poured out along a path, forming a pathway.

I realized that He was showing me His will for me.  He was teaching me the way I should go (Psalms 32:8).  This path was designed to bring me to my spiritual inheritance--which is abundant life, everlasting life.  It is rivers of living water, found firstly within us, and then within the city of God.

"There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High."  Psalm 46:4

In the meantime, though, He is pouring out streams of water step by step (Isaiah 41:18).  These streams lead us onto the fulfillment of all the blessings we first received.   They lead us on towards Zion's river, towards Heaven itself.  He is faithful to guide us there!

The water poured out is the Spirit.  The water distributes itself and widens once poured out, because where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17).  There is so much freedom found in walking with God and going where He wants you to go.  The feeling of pleasing Him awakens us to the freedom that He gives us.  Like Bill Johnson says, the Kingdom of Heaven is bigger on the inside than it appears from the outside.

So I saw from the vision that He's taking me towards my destiny.  He's pouring out a path, which I can then follow by the Spirit.  He's equipping me with every spiritual blessing along the way!

"And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the LORD your God."  Deuteronomy 28:2

When you're on that path, that well-watered path, you can't help but pour out abundance to others.  We give because He first gave to us.  And God is always enough.  You can't help but overflow with the Spirit and impact others with the Love of God.  You can't help but be bold for Him.  This is where God wants to take us--not to physical abundance, but to spiritual overflow.  

Snapshot: Heavenly Downloads

"Every generous act and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights; with Him there is no variation or shadow cast by turning."  James 1:17

When I became saved in the Spring of 2013 the Lord gave me many dreams that helped me understand who He is.  He was my main teacher during those amazing first few months.  Spring was a time of rebirth and growing in trust and childlike faith.  And as I've said in a recent post, now I am thankful to receive beautiful songs in my dreams from the Lord.

"That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him."  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 2:9-10

God has so many things in His storehouse.  He has so many things awaiting us way up in Heaven.  And we are instructed to test Him, and see if He doesn't give to us!

"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it."  Malachi 3:10

Bill Johnson said that the Kingdom of Heaven is bigger  on the inside than it is on the outside.  How true!  To outsiders Jesus says, "narrow is the path" (Matthew 7:14).  But David, a friend of God, praised the Lord for broadening the path for his sake (Psalms 18:36).  Once inside the Kingdom, once you have sought God, that's when He gives you the desires of your heart.  That's when He can redeem your creativity!  That's when you can embrace a download from Heaven.

This download may be a dream.  It may be a vision.  It may mean making artwork, or a song, or a writing.  It will come surrounded by a gift of wisdom--more on this in a future post.  God wants to give each of us a portion of His imagination to apply to our respective fields.  Seek first His Kingdom, and see if He doesn't transform your life.

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.