Since the time of Satan’s fall from grace , he’s been looking for a way to destroy God’s church. The ironacy is that Satan has to get permission from God before he can lie, kill and destroy . Satan can be very subtle in his destruction. He can find the one area of weakness and use it to destroy everything God has set up.
Many churches are living in the past and are to blind to see what God is doing now. The Lord is preparing to go to war against Satan’s strong hold on our nation. God is preparing another move of himself and the one’s that are listening and preparing are the one’s that God will use.
Most moves of God start out with his anointing poured out all over his bride. Each person starts out with dedication, conviction and a willingness to pay any price to bring in God’s glory. Through out history when our Lord pours out the Holy Spirit on his bride, the bride surrenders and a movement is birthed. When the battle part’s over the bride gets comfortable once again, camps and relives God’s past glory. The Church usually hardens her heart and stays where she’s at. The bride becomes self focused and blind to what God is doing. Eventually the bride disappears into obscurity once more.
Two to three years ago, the Lord has given us the battle cry once more. The Lord has poured out his intimate presence on the faithful and faithless equally. I truly believe that another move of God is on it’s way. God has been whispering in the ears of those who would listen. When Mr. Obama became President many ran and some even left the country. God was testing them for obedience and they failed miserably.
The Lord has been raising up new leaders especially those who are called into the five fold ministries such as Pastor, Prophet, Teacher, Evangelist and Apostolic. It breaks my heart to see so many churches that have turned their backs on God and are still doing the same old things.
Satan uses lies to destroy. I believe one of the biggest lies is the Egalitarian vs. Complemetarian issue. Egalitarian’s believes that a woman can have autonomous authority within the church structure. They believe that women can become Pastor’s or Elders and make governmental decisions. The Complemetarian’s believe that women can hold any position within the church except the Senior Pastor and Elder positions. If we're not careful I believe that this issue can tear the church in two.
Other issues that can take the church off track is 1) moral failure in Pastors and Prophets. The divorce rate is the same between the church and the world. 2) Another conflict is over relating to post modern culture. The church is allowing itself to be influenced by the world. If things keep moving as they have been, the church won’t be any different than the world and the bride will become ineffective. 3) The church is compromising its standards. she is straying from the truth in the word of God. Soon there will be no difference between the world and the church. 4) Finally the theological fractions that are tearing churches apart. To many churches water down the word and take the word out of context and make it say what they want it to say.
As I stated before Satan will do anything to destroy Jesus' bride. I believe that the Egalitarian vs. Complemetarian, moral failure within the church, post modern culture and theological fractions are Satan’s lies to bring down the Church. Look at the time it’s raising its head to become an issue again. Right before the war begins.
I’ve asked several friends if they are Complemetarian or Egalitarian and most of them said Egalitarian. I asked why they believe the way that they do and the main answer I received was that men and women need to be equal. I again asked why because we are equal in the eyes of God and the response from most of them was “because”.
God created both men and women. We are equal in the eyes of God. We just have different roles to perform. I have yet to hear a biblical reason why women should be allowed to become Elders or Pastors within the church. From the books Genesis, I Timothy, I Corinthians and Ephesians states Paul’s view on women in the Egalitarian debate. Paul was a Complementarian.
I’m stepping out on a limb here. I want it understood that these are my beliefs. I’ve put in a lot of hours seeking the truth and praying for what the Lord wants done. I truly believe that women should not to be put in governmental positions within the church. I will even go so far as to say, that if a church grabs a hold of the Egalitarian point of view, or moral failure, or relating to post modern culture or theological fractions will be left behind in this new movement. Jesus is looking for total surrender. The Lord wants us to hand over our beliefs, so that he can show us his truth. The Lord will only use people that have totally surrendered in his next awakening move.
The Lord wants his bride unified. Right now the church is so fragmented that she’s almost unusable by our Lord. Once a church starts to compromise on its biblical foundation, they will have to accept other issues that can’t be condoned by God. Thus creating a downward spiral that makes the church water down her convictions.
We have to take the focus off of ourselves and our goals. We need to fall on our knees in repentance and then we need to ask what the Lord wants us to do. To many churches and individual people have made hearing God so complicated. We just need to stop, lay all of our agendas, goals and the way we think things should be done and lay it before the throne of our Father. When we can be completely open to the Lord and his agenda then we can really stand united.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Monday, October 5, 2009
Darkness Of The Soul
For the past four months I have been forced to look into my past. I’ve had to come to terms with my weaknesses and strengths. I have been pushed and prodded to look deeper into my soul. After I searched I walked away with a wounded everything. Some things I knew were coming and some I didn’t. My world, as I knew it, was whisked away in the blink of an eye
My body, spirit and soul are decimated. I have had to deal with betrayal, broken trust and knowledge of a couple of people that hurt me in the worst possible way.
Several months ago, the Lord started to prod me to read Job. When I was done I saw something that I never caught before. When the Lord visited Job and his three friends, God reminded them of who he was. One thing stuck out to me, and that was that the Lord asked Job to forgive and pray blessings on his three friends. God gave no promises of renewed health or restoration of all that Job had lost. Job, I believe, had to struggle before doing God’s will.
Job did obey then God restored all that was lost to him. He had many sons and daughters, his wealth and health were restored. The Lord has asked me to forgive some people that let me down. The Lord is asking me to forgive some that have physically hurt me.
Everything within me screams, they don’t deserve it and why am I the one that has to take the first step. For several months I couldn’t do it. I was barraged with to many things at one time. I was just hit with another situation yesterday. I feel as if I’m at breaking point, but I have to remember who is my salvation and redeemer is. For the past 4 months I’ve felt abandoned and all alone. I felt as if people didn’t care.
I just learned something new about my past. It was about a person I should have been able to trust, who should be my knight in shining armor. He turned out to be a despot and robbed me of my self respect. I admit that I’m in denial right now. No way could this happen to me. I wasn’t prepared for the knowledge that I received yesterday and today.
When something hits us out of the blue, we need to dig deeper into Jesus and his loving embrace. I was reminded today that God was with me during my hour of need. He didn’t walk away. He was sitting there crying and had to let free will take its course.
If anyone is in deep pain, I encourage you to go to someone you can trust. They can help you see the light at the end of your dark tunnel, your darkness of the soul.
May the Lord bless everyone that is hurting and help them to see you. Lord let them see the light at the end of the tunnel. I pray blessing and peace on everyone.
My body, spirit and soul are decimated. I have had to deal with betrayal, broken trust and knowledge of a couple of people that hurt me in the worst possible way.
Several months ago, the Lord started to prod me to read Job. When I was done I saw something that I never caught before. When the Lord visited Job and his three friends, God reminded them of who he was. One thing stuck out to me, and that was that the Lord asked Job to forgive and pray blessings on his three friends. God gave no promises of renewed health or restoration of all that Job had lost. Job, I believe, had to struggle before doing God’s will.
Job did obey then God restored all that was lost to him. He had many sons and daughters, his wealth and health were restored. The Lord has asked me to forgive some people that let me down. The Lord is asking me to forgive some that have physically hurt me.
Everything within me screams, they don’t deserve it and why am I the one that has to take the first step. For several months I couldn’t do it. I was barraged with to many things at one time. I was just hit with another situation yesterday. I feel as if I’m at breaking point, but I have to remember who is my salvation and redeemer is. For the past 4 months I’ve felt abandoned and all alone. I felt as if people didn’t care.
I just learned something new about my past. It was about a person I should have been able to trust, who should be my knight in shining armor. He turned out to be a despot and robbed me of my self respect. I admit that I’m in denial right now. No way could this happen to me. I wasn’t prepared for the knowledge that I received yesterday and today.
When something hits us out of the blue, we need to dig deeper into Jesus and his loving embrace. I was reminded today that God was with me during my hour of need. He didn’t walk away. He was sitting there crying and had to let free will take its course.
If anyone is in deep pain, I encourage you to go to someone you can trust. They can help you see the light at the end of your dark tunnel, your darkness of the soul.
May the Lord bless everyone that is hurting and help them to see you. Lord let them see the light at the end of the tunnel. I pray blessing and peace on everyone.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Enter Into The Courts Of The King - 2
The Lord’s presence is a gift that he gives to his children, but it’s not without cost. The price is everything we own, all that we are, our dreams and all of the people we care about. How are we to pay such a price? We can’t, not on our own. Each time we worship God, we hand over a small part of ourselves to him and he in return replaces that part with his character. God’s gracious gift of himself is what allows us to walk deeper into his own presence. The more we give of ourselves to the Lord in worship, the more we are changed into his likeness. God’s presence inside of us is what gives us the ability to accomplish whatever he asks of us.
The Lord uses people that are willing to come before him. God never forces his will on anyone, but waits patiently until we are ready to give our all for him. I started thinking of different times in history when the Lord used people to help bring about his glory in their era. Each person was flawed, and with as much sin in their lives as anyone else. What made them different were the choices they made. All were worshipers and had a close relationship with God and Jesus. Each one made massive mistakes, but when they did they cried out to God, repented and went on with God’s original plans for them.
Here are a few examples of people that had an intimate relationship with God and because of it, changed history. In the first book of the Bible, Genesis, is Abraham. Abraham was used by God to help create the nation of Israel. Joseph , also in Genesis, saved his people, the Jews, from annihilation. King David’s story is in books of Chronicles and Kings in the Old Testament. David was known for his intimate worship and love of God. David sinned greatly, but when he was confronted he repented with his whole heart. David brought the nation of Israel into it’s glory days. Israel was the most powerful nation of its time.
The twelve disciples in the New Testament knew Jesus personally and spread the gospel to the Jews. Paul who wrote over 1/3 of the New Testament helped to spread the gospel to the gentiles. Martin Luther, the founder of the Lutheran Revival created a stir in the early 1500's. He stood against church heresy and helped to bring God’s saving grace to a whole continent. Charles Finney was a big evangelist in the 1800's. Finney always sent a man into the city Finney was getting ready to visit and the man prayed one week before his arrival. Revival broke out everywhere Finney went, and sometimes without his saying a word. Finney helped to bring the gospel to a whole nation. There are many more who have changed history with their love of God and their obedience.
We have always had worship and the presence of God, but why is it so intense right now. The answer lies in what’s going on around us. Whenever the Lord prepares to bring about a massive change for a nation and or the world, he pours out his presence on his people so that they can be empowered with grace, wisdom and authority. God’s empowerment allows us to see God’s vision of what he wants to accomplish and how are we are to help bring it into fruition.
We, as the church, have been enjoying God’s intimate presence for a while now. I believe he’s bringing us to a place where we are going to have to make a choice. Will we continue to play, or will we allow God to change and use us. This is the time for the church to shine when everything seems turned upside down and hopeless in the world. If we as God’s people can use God’s intimate presence as a stepping stone, we will radically change the world.
We must stop looking at ourselves and our own agendas. When we do we’ll see that the Lord has given us all of the tools we’ll ever need. Himself. If we come before and worship him, he will touch us with himself. His grace will give us the ability to get rid of the garbage in our lives and his mercy will show us the next step we need to take and to help produce his kingdom here on earth.
The Lord uses people that are willing to come before him. God never forces his will on anyone, but waits patiently until we are ready to give our all for him. I started thinking of different times in history when the Lord used people to help bring about his glory in their era. Each person was flawed, and with as much sin in their lives as anyone else. What made them different were the choices they made. All were worshipers and had a close relationship with God and Jesus. Each one made massive mistakes, but when they did they cried out to God, repented and went on with God’s original plans for them.
Here are a few examples of people that had an intimate relationship with God and because of it, changed history. In the first book of the Bible, Genesis, is Abraham. Abraham was used by God to help create the nation of Israel. Joseph , also in Genesis, saved his people, the Jews, from annihilation. King David’s story is in books of Chronicles and Kings in the Old Testament. David was known for his intimate worship and love of God. David sinned greatly, but when he was confronted he repented with his whole heart. David brought the nation of Israel into it’s glory days. Israel was the most powerful nation of its time.
The twelve disciples in the New Testament knew Jesus personally and spread the gospel to the Jews. Paul who wrote over 1/3 of the New Testament helped to spread the gospel to the gentiles. Martin Luther, the founder of the Lutheran Revival created a stir in the early 1500's. He stood against church heresy and helped to bring God’s saving grace to a whole continent. Charles Finney was a big evangelist in the 1800's. Finney always sent a man into the city Finney was getting ready to visit and the man prayed one week before his arrival. Revival broke out everywhere Finney went, and sometimes without his saying a word. Finney helped to bring the gospel to a whole nation. There are many more who have changed history with their love of God and their obedience.
We have always had worship and the presence of God, but why is it so intense right now. The answer lies in what’s going on around us. Whenever the Lord prepares to bring about a massive change for a nation and or the world, he pours out his presence on his people so that they can be empowered with grace, wisdom and authority. God’s empowerment allows us to see God’s vision of what he wants to accomplish and how are we are to help bring it into fruition.
We, as the church, have been enjoying God’s intimate presence for a while now. I believe he’s bringing us to a place where we are going to have to make a choice. Will we continue to play, or will we allow God to change and use us. This is the time for the church to shine when everything seems turned upside down and hopeless in the world. If we as God’s people can use God’s intimate presence as a stepping stone, we will radically change the world.
We must stop looking at ourselves and our own agendas. When we do we’ll see that the Lord has given us all of the tools we’ll ever need. Himself. If we come before and worship him, he will touch us with himself. His grace will give us the ability to get rid of the garbage in our lives and his mercy will show us the next step we need to take and to help produce his kingdom here on earth.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Enter Into The Courts Of The King
Several yeas ago, the Lord called me to go to our church building and pray. I thought I was starting a prayer ministry, but it turned out to be a season for me alone. The Lord touched me in the most intimate way, and at the same time I started feeling the weight of sin on my back. I asked the Lord, why is it that the more I come before you, the more I see all of the things that needed to be changed within me? I realized that the Lord created our relationship to be this way.
Everyone needs to understand what sin is. In the first book in the Bible, is Genesis and it talks about how God created the first human man, Adam. Then God made the first woman Eve. They had perfect unity with God, their creator. Everything was in harmony and at peace. All was right before God, until one day both Adam and Eve ate of the apple of knowledge behind God’s back. They tried to hide what they did. When God confronted them they shifted blame on each other. God had to separate himself from Adam and Eve and kicked them out of garden. Their decision put a wall between them and God. Sin was born. Sin is turning our backs on God and doing our own thing. Sin separates us from God because God is sinless.
God can not tolerate sin, but he also wants a relationship with us so he created a unique way for allowing us to come before him. 1) God pours out his presence 2)which produces a hunger for repentance (repentance is turning and walking away from something that separates us from God’s presence ). 3) that helps us to accept God’s leading in our lives. It must be understood that this process can only work for a person after he or she acknowledges their separation for God. It must also be understood that God sent his son Jesus to live as a man and then die when he committed no crime. Jesus is without sin. Jesus died so that we can have access to God once again.
When we experience the intimacy of God we are changed forever. We no longer want our own desires to be fulfilled. We want what the Lord wants and we don’t care who gets the credit for it. Our focus changes form being on ourselves to being on Jesus. God’s presence creates a deep hunger within us, so that we want more and more. Entering God’s presence also creates a desire to get rid of any obstacle (sin) that can keep us from coming before him.
God has spoken to many people through out history. I believe the Lord is still speaking today and if we search for him and wait we can hear what God is telling us. It can be through the Bible, through a song, a person, a thought, or nature itself. If we believe that God is the creator of everything, then it’s logical to believe that he can use whatever he wants to communicate with us. We just have to be willing to believe and listen.
During my prayer time at the church I was seeking the Lord. I was praying for the church, our nation and direction for myself. I spent many hours on my face repenting of the things the Lord pointed out to me and then I walked into his throne room of Grace. Once you’ve entered the throne room of God, you’ll want to come back. The presence of God is addicting. The more you go, the more you want
Worship is adoring God and telling him all the things he is and the things he has done. I truly believe that you have to worship more than one day a week. God is the only one that can fill the empty holes in our lives. His door is always opened, we just have to walk through it. It’s scary standing at the door. Your sin is revealed when you stand at the door, but when you choose to walk in God’s love pours all over you. The more time you spend with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit the more you will change. Your relationship with the triune God is like any other relation. Your relationship will grow when you more spend with them,
Part 2 tomorrow
Everyone needs to understand what sin is. In the first book in the Bible, is Genesis and it talks about how God created the first human man, Adam. Then God made the first woman Eve. They had perfect unity with God, their creator. Everything was in harmony and at peace. All was right before God, until one day both Adam and Eve ate of the apple of knowledge behind God’s back. They tried to hide what they did. When God confronted them they shifted blame on each other. God had to separate himself from Adam and Eve and kicked them out of garden. Their decision put a wall between them and God. Sin was born. Sin is turning our backs on God and doing our own thing. Sin separates us from God because God is sinless.
God can not tolerate sin, but he also wants a relationship with us so he created a unique way for allowing us to come before him. 1) God pours out his presence 2)which produces a hunger for repentance (repentance is turning and walking away from something that separates us from God’s presence ). 3) that helps us to accept God’s leading in our lives. It must be understood that this process can only work for a person after he or she acknowledges their separation for God. It must also be understood that God sent his son Jesus to live as a man and then die when he committed no crime. Jesus is without sin. Jesus died so that we can have access to God once again.
When we experience the intimacy of God we are changed forever. We no longer want our own desires to be fulfilled. We want what the Lord wants and we don’t care who gets the credit for it. Our focus changes form being on ourselves to being on Jesus. God’s presence creates a deep hunger within us, so that we want more and more. Entering God’s presence also creates a desire to get rid of any obstacle (sin) that can keep us from coming before him.
God has spoken to many people through out history. I believe the Lord is still speaking today and if we search for him and wait we can hear what God is telling us. It can be through the Bible, through a song, a person, a thought, or nature itself. If we believe that God is the creator of everything, then it’s logical to believe that he can use whatever he wants to communicate with us. We just have to be willing to believe and listen.
During my prayer time at the church I was seeking the Lord. I was praying for the church, our nation and direction for myself. I spent many hours on my face repenting of the things the Lord pointed out to me and then I walked into his throne room of Grace. Once you’ve entered the throne room of God, you’ll want to come back. The presence of God is addicting. The more you go, the more you want
Worship is adoring God and telling him all the things he is and the things he has done. I truly believe that you have to worship more than one day a week. God is the only one that can fill the empty holes in our lives. His door is always opened, we just have to walk through it. It’s scary standing at the door. Your sin is revealed when you stand at the door, but when you choose to walk in God’s love pours all over you. The more time you spend with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit the more you will change. Your relationship with the triune God is like any other relation. Your relationship will grow when you more spend with them,
Part 2 tomorrow
Monday, September 21, 2009
Forgiveness
Forgiveness
I have been thinking a lot about the Book of Job. It’s in the Old Testament in the Bible Most people focus on the beginning where Satan comes before God and asks to torment Job. Another aspect is when God talks to Job at the end of the book or how Job’s friends tormented him in his time of misery. I believe God gave me another aspect of Job. Right before God made everything right in Job’s world, the Lord God asked him to forgive and pray blessing on his three tormentors. God didn't give Job any promises of healing or restoration after he obeyed. God didn’t restore Job until he had forgiven and blessed his three friends. I don’t know about you but I’d have a hard time doing what God asked of Job.
We don’t know how long a period of time that Job was in pain. So we don’t know how long Job’s “friends” were telling him to repent of whatever sin that caused this calamitous affair. God called Job to forgive and to bless all three. I’m sure Job didn’t make a decision right away concerning forgiving and blessing his friends. Having been in Job’s place, the human side comes to the forefront and screams, “NO, NO, NO, NO!” God haven’t you seen what they put me through, “sick em God”.
The human side would want vengeance and justice. Most of us would ask God to take care of the wrongs done to us first. I doesn’t seem to work that way. I have been struggling with forgiveness towards three different people. I was the wronged party in all three cases.
I waited for four months for things to change. I prayed for God’s mercy, conviction and restoration. I received no answer. I was getting madder by the day. It seemed as if I was being ignored and I felt abandoned because the people wouldn’t reach out to me. God wanted something from me but I didn’t know what until I read and thought about Job.
Job never questioned God and he obeyed without expecting anything in return. I was and still am in the dark place of the soul. My prayer for hope turned into a prayer of selfishness. I wanted the people to know that they wronged me and they should be sorry for it. God wanted me to forgive and bless the people who wronged me. I fought with it for a week.
Then I realized I can’t out wait God. He waits very patiently until you do what he wants you to do. I went back to church after being gone for four months. I prayed God’s blessing on them and I forgave them. The others were taken care of before I dealt with my home church. I didn’t feel anything different. A few days later other things that were out of place started falling into place.
Forgiving someone is letting all of the resentment and bitterness go. Your unforgiveness doesn’t affect the other people at all. Most of the time the people involved are ignorant of what's taking place. When you release the bitterness and anger and grant forgiveness, you're putting the whole situation into God’s loving hands. Justice and vindication is the Lord’s job.
I’ve forgiven, but the situations haven’t really changed. I don’t expect anyone to try to make right what went wrong. All I know is that if I don’t forgive I’m the one who stays in jail. I’m asking for justice and vindication. All in all The Lord will do what’s best for all concerned
What I’m about to say is my belief and conviction. I truly believe that forgiveness is one of the most powerful words that we have in the English language.
If a person has hurt you, then I encourage you to ask God to give you the grace, mercy and strength to forgive. It’s not easy and it will take every ounce of will power that you have to do it. If you do forgive the other person, you will be the one let out of bondage. If the other person doesn’t respond, then it’s out of your hands and placed into God’s hands.
I was thinking one day and the Lord gave me this little ditty:
F Forgetting the situation sets your spirit and soul free
O Overcoming and handing over the hurt, anger and revenge that dwells in your
heart, over to God, will set you free
R Restoration can come when the first person forgives and let’s go
G God gives grace to walk away, even though you are the hurt party
I Initiation gives you the tools to talk to the other person
V Vulnerability is going to the other person when you don’t know how they will
respond
E Extending grace with no strings attached heals personal wounds
I normally don’t pray on my blog, but I am this time. Lord Jesus touch every wounded spirit and heart that is out there. Help people to come to you. Let them be restored by your grace and favor. Help each person to forgive the people that have hurt them and let them place themselves in the palm of your hand. For you are a God of justice and mercy. Thank you and God bless you all.
I have been thinking a lot about the Book of Job. It’s in the Old Testament in the Bible Most people focus on the beginning where Satan comes before God and asks to torment Job. Another aspect is when God talks to Job at the end of the book or how Job’s friends tormented him in his time of misery. I believe God gave me another aspect of Job. Right before God made everything right in Job’s world, the Lord God asked him to forgive and pray blessing on his three tormentors. God didn't give Job any promises of healing or restoration after he obeyed. God didn’t restore Job until he had forgiven and blessed his three friends. I don’t know about you but I’d have a hard time doing what God asked of Job.
We don’t know how long a period of time that Job was in pain. So we don’t know how long Job’s “friends” were telling him to repent of whatever sin that caused this calamitous affair. God called Job to forgive and to bless all three. I’m sure Job didn’t make a decision right away concerning forgiving and blessing his friends. Having been in Job’s place, the human side comes to the forefront and screams, “NO, NO, NO, NO!” God haven’t you seen what they put me through, “sick em God”.
The human side would want vengeance and justice. Most of us would ask God to take care of the wrongs done to us first. I doesn’t seem to work that way. I have been struggling with forgiveness towards three different people. I was the wronged party in all three cases.
I waited for four months for things to change. I prayed for God’s mercy, conviction and restoration. I received no answer. I was getting madder by the day. It seemed as if I was being ignored and I felt abandoned because the people wouldn’t reach out to me. God wanted something from me but I didn’t know what until I read and thought about Job.
Job never questioned God and he obeyed without expecting anything in return. I was and still am in the dark place of the soul. My prayer for hope turned into a prayer of selfishness. I wanted the people to know that they wronged me and they should be sorry for it. God wanted me to forgive and bless the people who wronged me. I fought with it for a week.
Then I realized I can’t out wait God. He waits very patiently until you do what he wants you to do. I went back to church after being gone for four months. I prayed God’s blessing on them and I forgave them. The others were taken care of before I dealt with my home church. I didn’t feel anything different. A few days later other things that were out of place started falling into place.
Forgiving someone is letting all of the resentment and bitterness go. Your unforgiveness doesn’t affect the other people at all. Most of the time the people involved are ignorant of what's taking place. When you release the bitterness and anger and grant forgiveness, you're putting the whole situation into God’s loving hands. Justice and vindication is the Lord’s job.
I’ve forgiven, but the situations haven’t really changed. I don’t expect anyone to try to make right what went wrong. All I know is that if I don’t forgive I’m the one who stays in jail. I’m asking for justice and vindication. All in all The Lord will do what’s best for all concerned
What I’m about to say is my belief and conviction. I truly believe that forgiveness is one of the most powerful words that we have in the English language.
If a person has hurt you, then I encourage you to ask God to give you the grace, mercy and strength to forgive. It’s not easy and it will take every ounce of will power that you have to do it. If you do forgive the other person, you will be the one let out of bondage. If the other person doesn’t respond, then it’s out of your hands and placed into God’s hands.
I was thinking one day and the Lord gave me this little ditty:
F Forgetting the situation sets your spirit and soul free
O Overcoming and handing over the hurt, anger and revenge that dwells in your
heart, over to God, will set you free
R Restoration can come when the first person forgives and let’s go
G God gives grace to walk away, even though you are the hurt party
I Initiation gives you the tools to talk to the other person
V Vulnerability is going to the other person when you don’t know how they will
respond
E Extending grace with no strings attached heals personal wounds
I normally don’t pray on my blog, but I am this time. Lord Jesus touch every wounded spirit and heart that is out there. Help people to come to you. Let them be restored by your grace and favor. Help each person to forgive the people that have hurt them and let them place themselves in the palm of your hand. For you are a God of justice and mercy. Thank you and God bless you all.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Nothing New Under the Sun
I have been pondering the beginning of life. Sounds deep and profound. Actually I’m thinking about how nothing has changed since the beginning of time. Well, let me amend that. I really mean since the fall. Adam and Eve were living a great life until Eve blew it. Eve had to be eying that apple for some time. She didn’t automatically come up with the idea to become equal with God in one second.
A psychiatrist that I have contact with pointed out something about creation that I’ve never considered before. Eve wanted her ego tickled. She wanted equality with God. She already had equality with Adam. She didn’t fool with Adam until she had already done the deed. She wasn’t worried about Adam, only God
Eve bites the apple, low and behold differences of station in life are born. Eve is still equal with Adam, but changes come into the relationship between them, also between her and God. Did Eve loose her equality with Adam. Some believe so, but I don’t think so.
I’ve watched the feminist movement since it’s inception and I’ve watched women trying to be equal with men. Equality is something given by God, it's not something to be strived for or demanded. I’ve seen many woman scream that they want the same rights as a man. Eve bit the apple first, not the other way around . To this day I believe Eve is trying to put the blame on Adam. Eve still wants her ego tickled.
I don’t believe Eve wants equality, she wants superiority. That’s why she bit the apple in the first place. She didn’t persuade Adam to do it with her, but after her. Eve does not want to stay in the role that God has given her and she wants to change God’s design and his manual for creation. She is screaming unfairness and is whining to a large degree.
Woman are clambering once again to be equal with God. Consider the Egalitarian vs. Complimetarian issue within the church. I don’t see any evidence that God is changing the rules so that Eve can be in the top position within the church. There was no church before and after the fall. There were only people. Church structure came much later. Many women and men argue that we have to have what we had before the fall. That one’s easy. God was in control and there was no man or woman dominance conflict happening at the time.
God didn’t put man in the top position within the church until Abraham's time. Matter of fact, there was not church structure before Abraham. How many years from Adam and Eve until Abraham. A lot. Either way you look at it God put Eve in a specific role and Adam as well. Neither one is better than the other. Women are weaker in strength, but not the weaker vessel. I’d like to see a man bear a child. Personally I think they would be screaming drugs after the first contraction. Women have top billing when it comes to having kids. Men are physically stronger than us. That is a medical fact. We can’t change that either. So why would we want to change the dynamics on God’s ultimate roles for us?
Women in the military is another example of woman wanting control. I don’t have a problem with women in the military to a certain extent. I believe we can accomplish anything we want except to conquer man’s strength. I remember the battle when women fought to join the VMA military academy. The military finally caved and when the first girl entered she started screaming that the men were being mean to her and treating her like a guy. Mixed signals! She joined so that she could be like a guy. That’s what the young woman wanted from the beginning. Everyone brings up women fighting on the front lines in the Israeli military. The only problem is that woman are not required to fight on the front lines any more. Israel is a tiny little speck of a country in an area of hostile nations surrounding her. When Israel became strong enough she took women out of the front line fighting. To many of Israel’s women were getting raped and being used to make the other Israeli men surrender. That’s what’s happening in our military today. It’s just not reported. There is a study that shows that men will not cave under torture if a woman is not involved, but as soon as you add a woman into the equation, men crack in a short period of time.
Remember Eve didn’t give the apple to Adam until she had already done it. She separated herself and made herself different from Adam by choice. I think it’s time to take the blinders of and look at all of the facts. Eve made her decision long before conferring with her husband and has been paying the price for it ever since.
Even with all of our flaws we are beautifully and wonderfully made. God created perfection with a flaw and Eve acted on it first. God knew the flaw would win out. I don’t even pretend to understand the mystery of God’s perfectness verses creation and our weaknesses. I’m beginning to think that he created the fall, so that God could show his infinite love and mercy in sending his son to us. That’s a different perspective on creation.
Women, if you have to fight men so hard for something, maybe it’s not meant to ours. Could it be that women want the ultimate apple. Complete control over men. It’s something to think about isn’t it.
A psychiatrist that I have contact with pointed out something about creation that I’ve never considered before. Eve wanted her ego tickled. She wanted equality with God. She already had equality with Adam. She didn’t fool with Adam until she had already done the deed. She wasn’t worried about Adam, only God
Eve bites the apple, low and behold differences of station in life are born. Eve is still equal with Adam, but changes come into the relationship between them, also between her and God. Did Eve loose her equality with Adam. Some believe so, but I don’t think so.
I’ve watched the feminist movement since it’s inception and I’ve watched women trying to be equal with men. Equality is something given by God, it's not something to be strived for or demanded. I’ve seen many woman scream that they want the same rights as a man. Eve bit the apple first, not the other way around . To this day I believe Eve is trying to put the blame on Adam. Eve still wants her ego tickled.
I don’t believe Eve wants equality, she wants superiority. That’s why she bit the apple in the first place. She didn’t persuade Adam to do it with her, but after her. Eve does not want to stay in the role that God has given her and she wants to change God’s design and his manual for creation. She is screaming unfairness and is whining to a large degree.
Woman are clambering once again to be equal with God. Consider the Egalitarian vs. Complimetarian issue within the church. I don’t see any evidence that God is changing the rules so that Eve can be in the top position within the church. There was no church before and after the fall. There were only people. Church structure came much later. Many women and men argue that we have to have what we had before the fall. That one’s easy. God was in control and there was no man or woman dominance conflict happening at the time.
God didn’t put man in the top position within the church until Abraham's time. Matter of fact, there was not church structure before Abraham. How many years from Adam and Eve until Abraham. A lot. Either way you look at it God put Eve in a specific role and Adam as well. Neither one is better than the other. Women are weaker in strength, but not the weaker vessel. I’d like to see a man bear a child. Personally I think they would be screaming drugs after the first contraction. Women have top billing when it comes to having kids. Men are physically stronger than us. That is a medical fact. We can’t change that either. So why would we want to change the dynamics on God’s ultimate roles for us?
Women in the military is another example of woman wanting control. I don’t have a problem with women in the military to a certain extent. I believe we can accomplish anything we want except to conquer man’s strength. I remember the battle when women fought to join the VMA military academy. The military finally caved and when the first girl entered she started screaming that the men were being mean to her and treating her like a guy. Mixed signals! She joined so that she could be like a guy. That’s what the young woman wanted from the beginning. Everyone brings up women fighting on the front lines in the Israeli military. The only problem is that woman are not required to fight on the front lines any more. Israel is a tiny little speck of a country in an area of hostile nations surrounding her. When Israel became strong enough she took women out of the front line fighting. To many of Israel’s women were getting raped and being used to make the other Israeli men surrender. That’s what’s happening in our military today. It’s just not reported. There is a study that shows that men will not cave under torture if a woman is not involved, but as soon as you add a woman into the equation, men crack in a short period of time.
Remember Eve didn’t give the apple to Adam until she had already done it. She separated herself and made herself different from Adam by choice. I think it’s time to take the blinders of and look at all of the facts. Eve made her decision long before conferring with her husband and has been paying the price for it ever since.
Even with all of our flaws we are beautifully and wonderfully made. God created perfection with a flaw and Eve acted on it first. God knew the flaw would win out. I don’t even pretend to understand the mystery of God’s perfectness verses creation and our weaknesses. I’m beginning to think that he created the fall, so that God could show his infinite love and mercy in sending his son to us. That’s a different perspective on creation.
Women, if you have to fight men so hard for something, maybe it’s not meant to ours. Could it be that women want the ultimate apple. Complete control over men. It’s something to think about isn’t it.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Can You Hear The Call Of The Holy Spirit
I remember when my brother, Gary, joined the military in 1969. The government did a clearance check and as soon as Gary passed he was shipped off to boot camp. They woke him up at 3 am to take his picture and then woke him up again at 6 am to do a 16 mile walk with full pack.
My brother always has been a strong man, but when he went to boot camp they tore him apart and put him back together piece by piece so that he would be a man that was sold out to the army, country then family. Boot camp was a time to see if you were army material and if you could be trusted to put your life on the line. My brother passed with flying colors, because later in his military career he became a drill Sargent himself.
I started thinking about the five fold ministry gifts in the kingdom of God: Pastor, Prophet, Evangelist, Apostle and Teacher. The Lord and I have been talking about what is required to be used in the five fold ministry. Or for any kind of ministry for that matter.
I believe it’s a lot like boot camp. God let’s you know what he wants of you, then he starts tearing you apart piece by piece so that you will put God first and last. God will not tolerate anything or one coming before him. The only way to insure this is for us to willingly put ourselves under the Holy Spirits discipline. Unless you go through the Holy Spirit’s boot camp you can not and will not be prepared.
Many people see seminaries as boot camp. They are a great tool to learn knowledge, but they are not a boot camp in the kingdom of God.
Christian boot camp is something we have to choose to do. No person can require it of you. The Holy Spirit is our drill Sargent and life is our training ground. Several years ago I was praying and the Lord showed me a dark unending pit. He asked me if I was willing to die for him. I admit I was a little astonished at the question. So to gain time I asked do you mean spiritually, psychically or emotionally. He just said again are you willing to die for me and to jump into the pit. I took a long time to decide because I knew there was a chance that I could be found dead on the church floor the next morning. I jumped in and little did I realize that I had just handed myself over to the Holy Spirit and his boot camp. My life has been torn apart physically, spiritually and emotionally since that time and I don’t have one regret.
Many people shy away from God’s boot camp and I believe this is causing a major problem within the church. People who do not allow themselves to be trained by the Holy Spirit start out with good intentions, but they generally get their eyes off of the Lord and on to their own importance in the Kingdom of God. This is especially being done within the Prophetic. To many people forget that they are just the vessel, a mouth piece, that God uses to say what he wants his people to hear.
I am a firm believer in the gifts of the Spirit. I believe in God raising people from the dead, the lame walking and the blind seeing. What I don’t like is when I see man intervening and trying to push God’s miracles into happening. I remember reading Watchman’s Nee’s book a long time ago and a story stood out. Two girls were standing at a river and were holding a Bible. One of the girls said “ where is the God of Elijah” and they walked into a river at flood stage. They both drowned believing that God would honor their request for a miracle. Watchman Nee then said , "don’t tempt God". God will tell you when he wants something done, not the other way around. This is my personal opinion, but I believe to many people are to interested in the gold dust and feathers rather than wanting to fall on their face and crying out to God to have mercy on their souls. Coming before God in fear and trembling is the only way to enter God’s boot camp.
There aren’t as many being used by God in this country as they think they are. If I don’t see stripes on someone's back and or walking without a limp, then I don’t trust them. God’s army is a special call. It’s not for the faint hearted and it’s not for people who think that they can jump into the front lines, without training, and finish the race. Consider God's boot camp as a camp for the special forces. Once you enter the drill Sargent takes charge and prepares you for what you will have to go through down the road. Remember the whole mission of boot camp is to get your eyes off of yourself and onto the mission and the team. The Holy Spirit prepares you to be willing to pay any price, even death.
The Bible is full of people who have willingly jumped into God’s boot camp. Daniel, Joseph, Paul, Peter and of course Jesus just to name a few. Some will say Jesus, no way. Jesus fought with the Holy Spirit at Gethsemene and God gave him the grace and strength to do what needed to be done. I sometimes wonder if even Jesus, being a man, could have accomplished what he did without the Holy Spirit’s help. Daniel walked into a lion’s den willingly, Joseph served Egypt faithfully even though he wanted to go home, Paul was beaten so many times that it’s hard to keep count and Peter who denied his Lord was led to death gladly to stand up for his faith.
How many of us are willing to go that far. Christianity has been easy in this country. I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but I do know that if we don’t allow ourselves to join the Holy Spirit’s boot camp, we will either be off chasing gold dust or drop out because it’s more than we can bear. Join the camp. It’s hard, it’s not easy, but it’s worth the price. You get to serve as one of God’s children in the Kingdom of God. If by chance you are called to the five fold ministry, then you know you will survive because you have the best instructor God can give you and that is our Drill Sargent the Holy Spirit. Semper Fi!
My brother always has been a strong man, but when he went to boot camp they tore him apart and put him back together piece by piece so that he would be a man that was sold out to the army, country then family. Boot camp was a time to see if you were army material and if you could be trusted to put your life on the line. My brother passed with flying colors, because later in his military career he became a drill Sargent himself.
I started thinking about the five fold ministry gifts in the kingdom of God: Pastor, Prophet, Evangelist, Apostle and Teacher. The Lord and I have been talking about what is required to be used in the five fold ministry. Or for any kind of ministry for that matter.
I believe it’s a lot like boot camp. God let’s you know what he wants of you, then he starts tearing you apart piece by piece so that you will put God first and last. God will not tolerate anything or one coming before him. The only way to insure this is for us to willingly put ourselves under the Holy Spirits discipline. Unless you go through the Holy Spirit’s boot camp you can not and will not be prepared.
Many people see seminaries as boot camp. They are a great tool to learn knowledge, but they are not a boot camp in the kingdom of God.
Christian boot camp is something we have to choose to do. No person can require it of you. The Holy Spirit is our drill Sargent and life is our training ground. Several years ago I was praying and the Lord showed me a dark unending pit. He asked me if I was willing to die for him. I admit I was a little astonished at the question. So to gain time I asked do you mean spiritually, psychically or emotionally. He just said again are you willing to die for me and to jump into the pit. I took a long time to decide because I knew there was a chance that I could be found dead on the church floor the next morning. I jumped in and little did I realize that I had just handed myself over to the Holy Spirit and his boot camp. My life has been torn apart physically, spiritually and emotionally since that time and I don’t have one regret.
Many people shy away from God’s boot camp and I believe this is causing a major problem within the church. People who do not allow themselves to be trained by the Holy Spirit start out with good intentions, but they generally get their eyes off of the Lord and on to their own importance in the Kingdom of God. This is especially being done within the Prophetic. To many people forget that they are just the vessel, a mouth piece, that God uses to say what he wants his people to hear.
I am a firm believer in the gifts of the Spirit. I believe in God raising people from the dead, the lame walking and the blind seeing. What I don’t like is when I see man intervening and trying to push God’s miracles into happening. I remember reading Watchman’s Nee’s book a long time ago and a story stood out. Two girls were standing at a river and were holding a Bible. One of the girls said “ where is the God of Elijah” and they walked into a river at flood stage. They both drowned believing that God would honor their request for a miracle. Watchman Nee then said , "don’t tempt God". God will tell you when he wants something done, not the other way around. This is my personal opinion, but I believe to many people are to interested in the gold dust and feathers rather than wanting to fall on their face and crying out to God to have mercy on their souls. Coming before God in fear and trembling is the only way to enter God’s boot camp.
There aren’t as many being used by God in this country as they think they are. If I don’t see stripes on someone's back and or walking without a limp, then I don’t trust them. God’s army is a special call. It’s not for the faint hearted and it’s not for people who think that they can jump into the front lines, without training, and finish the race. Consider God's boot camp as a camp for the special forces. Once you enter the drill Sargent takes charge and prepares you for what you will have to go through down the road. Remember the whole mission of boot camp is to get your eyes off of yourself and onto the mission and the team. The Holy Spirit prepares you to be willing to pay any price, even death.
The Bible is full of people who have willingly jumped into God’s boot camp. Daniel, Joseph, Paul, Peter and of course Jesus just to name a few. Some will say Jesus, no way. Jesus fought with the Holy Spirit at Gethsemene and God gave him the grace and strength to do what needed to be done. I sometimes wonder if even Jesus, being a man, could have accomplished what he did without the Holy Spirit’s help. Daniel walked into a lion’s den willingly, Joseph served Egypt faithfully even though he wanted to go home, Paul was beaten so many times that it’s hard to keep count and Peter who denied his Lord was led to death gladly to stand up for his faith.
How many of us are willing to go that far. Christianity has been easy in this country. I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but I do know that if we don’t allow ourselves to join the Holy Spirit’s boot camp, we will either be off chasing gold dust or drop out because it’s more than we can bear. Join the camp. It’s hard, it’s not easy, but it’s worth the price. You get to serve as one of God’s children in the Kingdom of God. If by chance you are called to the five fold ministry, then you know you will survive because you have the best instructor God can give you and that is our Drill Sargent the Holy Spirit. Semper Fi!
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