Some people hear from God primarily directly - the Ramah word. It's amazing. They can hear direct words from God sometimes for themselves but mostly for others. Some people see and hear God through nature - Chief Big Pond from the Oklahoma indian reservation says he hears from God when He is out on the land. He has a direct respect for and contact with the land, which in turn, connects him to God. Some people hear God through music and can feel His presence through a 3-part harmony.
I used to be discouraged because I didn't hear from God in any of those ways. Occasionally, I will hear direct words or feel the presence from a song, but not like others. I wasn't designed to. I've often thought, wow, wouldn't it be nice to hear from God in the ways that others do. What I learned was that everyone hears from God in a completely different way. When we tap into that source of how we communicate with God, it can completely free us.
I hear from God when I study. When I read, write, and study, I feel God's presence. To give you an example, when I started writing this blog, I was writing about a completely different topic than "Hearing from God." I was actually going to start writing about fear. After I got done writing, I realized something new that God was showing me that I hadn't thought about before.
Additionally, I'm not a musician, a singer, a dancer, or anything else. I'm a connector. In the natural world, I figured out naturally how to put a computer together and understand it by looking at the different pieces that made it up. The same goes for the spiritual realm: I see different pieces that fit together and so when I plug one puzzle piece into another, the bigger picture is revealed.
Everyone has their resonance in God's kingdom. He designed us with a calling and purpose. We can't get bogged down by wishing that we flowed in another calling or heard from God differently. I've been there, done that, wrote the book, got the t-shirt. Rather, we have to be faithful in what God has shown us where our giftings lie and God will take care of the rest.
Disclaimer: The contents of this message are to be prayed over and tested by prayer and scripture. The contents of any blogs written are my best understanding of any knowledge I obtain. The contents of this message may come from a variety of sources including, but not limited to: books I have read, words from God, words I have heard, memories, experiences, and my own imagination. It is my intention to share what knowledge I have gleaned from all available sources and "connect the dots" between those points of knowledge. God Bless!
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
The Heart of the Vine
Here is something interesting I saw the other day in my reading time in the Bible in the morning. I was reading in Ezekial and I came across the verse Ezekial 11:19 which says:
"...And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh."
So, this verse kept on repeating through my mind and I was curious to see why I kept thinking about it. At the same time, I was thinking about God being the vine:
John 15:4-5
Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
NASU
Then, as I was thinking about these two verses, I saw a picture of a vine in my mind and a branch coming off of that vine. I heard a question pop into my mind: "Where is the heart in this picture?" I knew immediately where it was in my mind's eye. It was at the point on the branch where it enters the vine. Then I heard "where is the mind in this picture?" I knew immediately it was where the twigs come off to produce the fruit.
This showed me a couple of things. The heart is the source for the nutrients of God. If the branch were stone at its base, then it would not receive nutrients. In the same way, the heart will not receive its nutrients from God if it is hardened. As the flesh is vulnerable so the heart must be vulnerable as well.
This also showed me something about the mind. In Eph 4:17-18, it says:
" walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart."
NASU
If the mind is futile, then it is a mind that doesn't bear fruit. It says that men are darkened in their understanding because of the hardness in their heart. Therefore,
IF THE HEART IS BLOCKED, THEN THE MIND CANNOT BEAR FRUIT.
IF THE MIND IS DARKENED, IT MEANS THAT THEIR HAS BEEN A HARDNESS OF HEART
John 15:6-9
"If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. 7 "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 "My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.
NASU
*Disclaimer: The contents of this message are to be prayed over and tested by prayer and scripture. The contents of any blogs written are my best understanding of any knowledge I obtain. The contents of this message may come from a variety of sources including, but not limited to: books I have read, words from God, words I have heard, memories, experiences, and my own imagination. It is my intention to share what knowledge I have gleaned from all available sources and "connect the dots" between those points of knowledge. God Bless!*
"...And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh."
So, this verse kept on repeating through my mind and I was curious to see why I kept thinking about it. At the same time, I was thinking about God being the vine:
John 15:4-5
Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
NASU
Then, as I was thinking about these two verses, I saw a picture of a vine in my mind and a branch coming off of that vine. I heard a question pop into my mind: "Where is the heart in this picture?" I knew immediately where it was in my mind's eye. It was at the point on the branch where it enters the vine. Then I heard "where is the mind in this picture?" I knew immediately it was where the twigs come off to produce the fruit.
This showed me a couple of things. The heart is the source for the nutrients of God. If the branch were stone at its base, then it would not receive nutrients. In the same way, the heart will not receive its nutrients from God if it is hardened. As the flesh is vulnerable so the heart must be vulnerable as well.
This also showed me something about the mind. In Eph 4:17-18, it says:
" walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart."
NASU
If the mind is futile, then it is a mind that doesn't bear fruit. It says that men are darkened in their understanding because of the hardness in their heart. Therefore,
IF THE HEART IS BLOCKED, THEN THE MIND CANNOT BEAR FRUIT.
IF THE MIND IS DARKENED, IT MEANS THAT THEIR HAS BEEN A HARDNESS OF HEART
John 15:6-9
"If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. 7 "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 "My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.
NASU
*Disclaimer: The contents of this message are to be prayed over and tested by prayer and scripture. The contents of any blogs written are my best understanding of any knowledge I obtain. The contents of this message may come from a variety of sources including, but not limited to: books I have read, words from God, words I have heard, memories, experiences, and my own imagination. It is my intention to share what knowledge I have gleaned from all available sources and "connect the dots" between those points of knowledge. God Bless!*
Sunday, February 22, 2009
The Glory of the Woman
2/22/09
Scripture has some very wonderful and unique things to say about a woman. Today, I got some new insight into women that I had never seen before. This goes back to a conversation I had with Kim a few weeks back. I told her, "Kim you hold me to a higher standard." Basically, I was telling her that she raised the bar for me and thus, helps me come up to a higher level.
Well, this was confirmed to me yesterday in my reading. I was reading in Rick Joyner's book yesterday about marriages and the differences between man and woman. Rick says this of a woman: "She was different, and probably needed to be touched more in her soul and spirit before she could be fully convinced [that Adam was the counterpart for her]. God made women this way to call men to higher levels of experience."
He goes on by saying, "Women do tend to be more spiritually oriented, and often tend to be more emotional, because they tend to be more in touch with their spiritual senses." Rick Joyner then talks about how Eve is called to help Adam to encounter the higher realms of spirituality.
So, today, this image was completed. At our church, someone had mentioned the verse in 1 Corinthians 11:15 - "If a woman has long hair, it is her glory. For her hair is given to her for a covering." The woman's hair represents the glory of God. It represents that she is covered by the presence of the Spirit. The glory of God is all three: blessing, honor, and power.
Because the woman is covered by the Holy Spirit, this is why she is characterized as beautiful and mysterious. If the Holy Spirit represents the helper, and the woman was the helper of man, it is no wonder men need her so much. So, Kim, I want to thank you for calling me to the higher levels of experience. Thank you for helping me to see as I have never seen before. Thank you for showing me the true nature of the Spirit.
*Disclaimer: The contents of this message are to be prayed over and tested by prayer and scripture. The contents of any blogs written are my best understanding of any knowledge I obtain. The contents of this message may come from a variety of sources including, but not limited to: books I have read, words from God, words I have heard, memories, experiences, and my own imagination. It is my intention to share what knowledge I have gleaned from all available sources and "connect the dots" between those points of knowledge. God Bless!*
Scripture has some very wonderful and unique things to say about a woman. Today, I got some new insight into women that I had never seen before. This goes back to a conversation I had with Kim a few weeks back. I told her, "Kim you hold me to a higher standard." Basically, I was telling her that she raised the bar for me and thus, helps me come up to a higher level.
Well, this was confirmed to me yesterday in my reading. I was reading in Rick Joyner's book yesterday about marriages and the differences between man and woman. Rick says this of a woman: "She was different, and probably needed to be touched more in her soul and spirit before she could be fully convinced [that Adam was the counterpart for her]. God made women this way to call men to higher levels of experience."
He goes on by saying, "Women do tend to be more spiritually oriented, and often tend to be more emotional, because they tend to be more in touch with their spiritual senses." Rick Joyner then talks about how Eve is called to help Adam to encounter the higher realms of spirituality.
So, today, this image was completed. At our church, someone had mentioned the verse in 1 Corinthians 11:15 - "If a woman has long hair, it is her glory. For her hair is given to her for a covering." The woman's hair represents the glory of God. It represents that she is covered by the presence of the Spirit. The glory of God is all three: blessing, honor, and power.
Because the woman is covered by the Holy Spirit, this is why she is characterized as beautiful and mysterious. If the Holy Spirit represents the helper, and the woman was the helper of man, it is no wonder men need her so much. So, Kim, I want to thank you for calling me to the higher levels of experience. Thank you for helping me to see as I have never seen before. Thank you for showing me the true nature of the Spirit.
*Disclaimer: The contents of this message are to be prayed over and tested by prayer and scripture. The contents of any blogs written are my best understanding of any knowledge I obtain. The contents of this message may come from a variety of sources including, but not limited to: books I have read, words from God, words I have heard, memories, experiences, and my own imagination. It is my intention to share what knowledge I have gleaned from all available sources and "connect the dots" between those points of knowledge. God Bless!*
Finding Your Name
Original Date: 2/22/09
God had showed me a while back about names and the power of a name. A name is prophetic. It establishes identity and calling. Throughout scripture, different people were given their names by God. Abram was given the name Abraham, meaning "Father of many nations." Jacob was given the name "Israel" which means "The one who wrestled with God" or "The Champion of God."
In the new testament, God gave Simon Barjona the name "Peter," meaning "The Rock."
In Matthew 16:17-18 it says: "And Jesus said to him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 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..."
Here is something cool about this. From the passage above, look at the order of the events that take place. First, God blessed Peter. Second, He named Peter. Third, He Called Peter - Peter, you will be the rock of the church." Fourth, He equipped Peter. "I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven."
1) Blessing
2) Naming
3) Calling
4) Equipping
What is interesting is that God is not done giving out names. Today, I heard a guy preach who was of the native american nation. He was very Spirit-filled and had a powerful message. He told everyone that He had been given the name Awade meaning "Sky Hunter." This means that he is "One who sees vision." He is equipped with vision and will pass along vision all the days of his life.
This confirmed with me because I had heard God give me a name. He told me that my name is "Equipper." I don't know the full extent of this name but I understand that it is a calling to equip others to do what it is they were called to do. I understand that the name also has its roots in vision in that I am called to help other build their vision. I even speak this over my work situations. I have understood that my vision is to help other people build their visions.
Kind of crazy huh? God is an awesome God.
God had showed me a while back about names and the power of a name. A name is prophetic. It establishes identity and calling. Throughout scripture, different people were given their names by God. Abram was given the name Abraham, meaning "Father of many nations." Jacob was given the name "Israel" which means "The one who wrestled with God" or "The Champion of God."
In the new testament, God gave Simon Barjona the name "Peter," meaning "The Rock."
In Matthew 16:17-18 it says: "And Jesus said to him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 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..."
Here is something cool about this. From the passage above, look at the order of the events that take place. First, God blessed Peter. Second, He named Peter. Third, He Called Peter - Peter, you will be the rock of the church." Fourth, He equipped Peter. "I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven."
1) Blessing
2) Naming
3) Calling
4) Equipping
What is interesting is that God is not done giving out names. Today, I heard a guy preach who was of the native american nation. He was very Spirit-filled and had a powerful message. He told everyone that He had been given the name Awade meaning "Sky Hunter." This means that he is "One who sees vision." He is equipped with vision and will pass along vision all the days of his life.
This confirmed with me because I had heard God give me a name. He told me that my name is "Equipper." I don't know the full extent of this name but I understand that it is a calling to equip others to do what it is they were called to do. I understand that the name also has its roots in vision in that I am called to help other build their vision. I even speak this over my work situations. I have understood that my vision is to help other people build their visions.
Kind of crazy huh? God is an awesome God.
Binding, Loosing, and Decrees
There is so much in the power of the tongue. God showed me just recently one more cool thing that I had never seen before. In Matthew chapter 16, Jesus is talking to Peter and He is equipping Peter for the work that he is about to do.
In Matthew 16:17 it says:
"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."
What I didn't know was that this was a teachable moment, and not a moment for just Peter. It is a moment for everyone.
The keys represent an authority over a place. So, if I said I am giving you the keys to the car, that means that that car is now yours. You are free to drive it. If I said that you have the keys to a mansion, you can go anywhere your heart feels led to go. This also means that you are given the ability to lock out any you don't want in your home. Since we are co-heirs with Christ, then He is also giving us the keys to the kingdom of heaven. We have the authority that Christ has given with the keys of the kingdom.
Binding = Forbidding and Loosing = Allowing. So, when you bind, you can, in essence, forbid someone from having access. This includes Satan and His demons. So, when Jesus said "I bind you Satan," He is taking authority of the situation and casting Satan out. But, this must take place being filled with the authority of the Holy Spirit. We are given authority from Heaven by Jesus through the Holy Spirit to do the acts and works that he did.
Alright, now, here is a little bit about Decrees. In Job 22:28, it says "You will also decree a thing and it will be established for you." Only a King can issue a decree. A decree is a legally binding contract (notice the language), that will take place. Think of the Ten Commandments as a decree. They were written into rock so it is law. What is written into rock is not changed. Since we are co-heirs with Christ, then we are kings with the King. He is our King of Kings, so as we are called Christians, meaning "little Christs," then we are also "little kings."
In Matthew 16:17 it says:
"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."
What I didn't know was that this was a teachable moment, and not a moment for just Peter. It is a moment for everyone.
The keys represent an authority over a place. So, if I said I am giving you the keys to the car, that means that that car is now yours. You are free to drive it. If I said that you have the keys to a mansion, you can go anywhere your heart feels led to go. This also means that you are given the ability to lock out any you don't want in your home. Since we are co-heirs with Christ, then He is also giving us the keys to the kingdom of heaven. We have the authority that Christ has given with the keys of the kingdom.
Binding = Forbidding and Loosing = Allowing. So, when you bind, you can, in essence, forbid someone from having access. This includes Satan and His demons. So, when Jesus said "I bind you Satan," He is taking authority of the situation and casting Satan out. But, this must take place being filled with the authority of the Holy Spirit. We are given authority from Heaven by Jesus through the Holy Spirit to do the acts and works that he did.
Alright, now, here is a little bit about Decrees. In Job 22:28, it says "You will also decree a thing and it will be established for you." Only a King can issue a decree. A decree is a legally binding contract (notice the language), that will take place. Think of the Ten Commandments as a decree. They were written into rock so it is law. What is written into rock is not changed. Since we are co-heirs with Christ, then we are kings with the King. He is our King of Kings, so as we are called Christians, meaning "little Christs," then we are also "little kings."
Interpretation: Two Images of Darkness
Original Date: 2/22/09
Amanda, you are so right on with your interpretation. I saw exactly what you saw about the seduction. I will copy Amanda's interpretation:
The first one makes me think of how the things of the world so try to seduce us away from what is TRUE reality - that is, God and intimacy in relationship with Him. We see it all the time in advertising--the world, whether consciously realizing it or not, takes advantage of the God-shaped hole inside of us, longing for wholeness, and as we see in this world, people attempt to fill that emptiness with things that don't satisfy, and only God can truly satisfy!
The world truly tries to make people thing that money, material things, status/position, success, etc. will make you truly content, and seduction would be a good thing to call it as the world/sin/the enemy try to pull us into such. Praise God that He truly can satisfy and that He has overcome the world!
Here is what I think the second one means. If the first one represents the seduction spirit, the second one represents the lust spirit. The first one is the lure saying "Come get me" and the second one is the whisper saying "Let's go get her." I get this because the one eyed snake is also a mouth at the same time. The eye devours the flesh like a mouth would devour food. Or, the eye devours other things of this world.
I believe this is an example of how two spirits will communicate. They are talking to each other to get someone to go after something other than that which is righteous. If their communication is broken then their power is halved. If they become confused, then their mission is disturbed. If they are bound and cast out, then they are completely defeated.
I also learned about a third spirit that can operate in this web. It is the blockade spirit. From what I understand, the blockade spirit is the spirit designed to block the person from seeing any light or hearing the voice of God. It acts as an overseer to try and block any communication outward or inward on this situation. Two demons are attempting a lustful attack, while the third is trying to block any reinforcements.
Amanda, you are so right on with your interpretation. I saw exactly what you saw about the seduction. I will copy Amanda's interpretation:
The first one makes me think of how the things of the world so try to seduce us away from what is TRUE reality - that is, God and intimacy in relationship with Him. We see it all the time in advertising--the world, whether consciously realizing it or not, takes advantage of the God-shaped hole inside of us, longing for wholeness, and as we see in this world, people attempt to fill that emptiness with things that don't satisfy, and only God can truly satisfy!
The world truly tries to make people thing that money, material things, status/position, success, etc. will make you truly content, and seduction would be a good thing to call it as the world/sin/the enemy try to pull us into such. Praise God that He truly can satisfy and that He has overcome the world!
Here is what I think the second one means. If the first one represents the seduction spirit, the second one represents the lust spirit. The first one is the lure saying "Come get me" and the second one is the whisper saying "Let's go get her." I get this because the one eyed snake is also a mouth at the same time. The eye devours the flesh like a mouth would devour food. Or, the eye devours other things of this world.
I believe this is an example of how two spirits will communicate. They are talking to each other to get someone to go after something other than that which is righteous. If their communication is broken then their power is halved. If they become confused, then their mission is disturbed. If they are bound and cast out, then they are completely defeated.
I also learned about a third spirit that can operate in this web. It is the blockade spirit. From what I understand, the blockade spirit is the spirit designed to block the person from seeing any light or hearing the voice of God. It acts as an overseer to try and block any communication outward or inward on this situation. Two demons are attempting a lustful attack, while the third is trying to block any reinforcements.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Two Images of Darkness
Original Date: 2/19/09
So, perhaps someone can help me interpret all these new images and stuff I've been getting. The images keep coming. Two times when I have been interceding for others, I have gotten picture in my mind that I can only imagine as demons. I don't know that I am actually seeing them, but I am getting a glimpse of what they look like. My mind doesn't normally ever even come up with images but the fact that 2 of these images came while I have been interceding is quite interesting to me.
Here is an image of creature 1:
I see 2 gleaming blue eyes. They are glowing almost with a ghostly glow. They have eyelashes above the eyes. There is no body but that of what would look like a ghost if it were black instead of white. Basically, it looks more like a shadow in the form of a ghost with eyelashes. The eyes are about the shape and form of human eyes except that they are just blue with no other color except black in the middle. They almost look seductive.
Here is an image of creature 2:
I see a very large red eye that has a black slit in the middle of it. This eye sits in what looks like a mouth. The mouth stays open and it has teeth that look like sharp razors. The mouth almost has a snake-like skin around it. It is not a snake though. It almost looks like an eye coming out of the side of a snake with sharp teeth around it. Above and below the snake-like sides is nothing but darkness.
So, perhaps someone can help me interpret all these new images and stuff I've been getting. The images keep coming. Two times when I have been interceding for others, I have gotten picture in my mind that I can only imagine as demons. I don't know that I am actually seeing them, but I am getting a glimpse of what they look like. My mind doesn't normally ever even come up with images but the fact that 2 of these images came while I have been interceding is quite interesting to me.
Here is an image of creature 1:
I see 2 gleaming blue eyes. They are glowing almost with a ghostly glow. They have eyelashes above the eyes. There is no body but that of what would look like a ghost if it were black instead of white. Basically, it looks more like a shadow in the form of a ghost with eyelashes. The eyes are about the shape and form of human eyes except that they are just blue with no other color except black in the middle. They almost look seductive.
Here is an image of creature 2:
I see a very large red eye that has a black slit in the middle of it. This eye sits in what looks like a mouth. The mouth stays open and it has teeth that look like sharp razors. The mouth almost has a snake-like skin around it. It is not a snake though. It almost looks like an eye coming out of the side of a snake with sharp teeth around it. Above and below the snake-like sides is nothing but darkness.
The Tornado of Light and The Flaming Eagle
2/17/09: My Bedroom : Intercessory Prayer for King of Glory Church : 12-3 AM
Context:
Upon the Lord’s leading, I signed up for intercessory prayer for 12-3 AM for King of Glory Church. I chose this time because I felt it would be 1) A sacrifice 2) Allow God to speak and me not to over-analyze with my mind 3) A time when no one else would pick. I prayed during this time primarily going through a list of different prayers rooted in deliverance ministries. As I prayed, I got different images that came to my mind. Towards the end of my time with God, the images came together and formed a composite dream or vision – I can’t really tell since I was in between being awake and sleep.
Vision:
In my mind’s eye, I looked and I saw the image of a town on a dark night. I did not see any people in this dream, only houses in a town. It was not a city nor did I see any businesses in the dream. There were no stars lit in the sky. The houses looked more like a 2-dimensional drawing than 3 dimensional figures but I knew in my mind there was a 3-dimensional space. The houses looked black but several of them looked like they had lights on but not all of them. In the sky, I didn’t actually see clouds but I knew they were there.
All of a sudden, the clouds were moved back as a tornado ripped down through the sky and touched the ground. However, this was no ordinary tornado. This tornado was a tornado of light. There was a swirling of light all the way through and around the tornado. It was bright with gleams of gold, yellow, and orange swirling in it and around it. The tornado was spinning so fast that I could not make out if there were objects swirling around it but I imagine they were.
The most interesting thing about this tornado is what happened as it touched the houses of the town. Everywhere the tornado touched, it would turn to platinum. Specifically, I saw the houses focused in on as the tornado turned them to platinum. As soon as they turned to platinum, they beamed with a brilliant light and radiated and gleamed off one another.
Through the center of the tornado of light, the image of a heart descended. When the heart descended ¼ of the distance between the clouds and the earth, it burst into flames. The flames then took the form of an eagle on fire. To clarify, the eagle’s substance remained as fire; it did not turn into flesh and feathers. The eagle was also about the same size as the houses, only maybe slightly smaller.
Then the flaming eagle swooped down from the tornado and started passing through different houses in the town. It didn’t fly in through doors or windows. It passed through as I imagine an angel would pass through a wall. As the eagle passed through the houses, I heard the words “hidden places.” It was almost as if the role of the flaming eagle was to seek out the hidden places. In it’s talons of fire, it held dark spirits pulled out of the houses.
Possible Interpretation:
In the physical realm, the tornado is an image of the power and might of destruction. In this dream, the converse was true: the tornado represents the image of transformation and glorification. This is not just any transformation – it is the quickening whereby the body of Christ is being accelerated from glory to glory. I imagine I almost imagine the tornado coming down first upon King of Glory as an image that it will be the beacon of transformation to Asheville and the surrounding areas. I think the tornado also represents God replacing what Satan would use for evil that God would use for good.
The platinum represents the purest form of gold. The kingdom of heaven has streets of gold. So then, the refiners fire is instantly transforming the body of Christ. The transformation is a glorious one and it is happening in the blink of an eye. In the end times, scripture says that He will pour out His Spirit on all mankind.
As stated before, I think the heart of God is to seek out the hidden places. This is where the heart turned flaming eagle comes in. The flaming eagle represents the passionate heart of God to draw out the inner dark hidden places un-relinquished by man. The restoration is incomplete without the hidden places being dealt with.
Context:
Upon the Lord’s leading, I signed up for intercessory prayer for 12-3 AM for King of Glory Church. I chose this time because I felt it would be 1) A sacrifice 2) Allow God to speak and me not to over-analyze with my mind 3) A time when no one else would pick. I prayed during this time primarily going through a list of different prayers rooted in deliverance ministries. As I prayed, I got different images that came to my mind. Towards the end of my time with God, the images came together and formed a composite dream or vision – I can’t really tell since I was in between being awake and sleep.
Vision:
In my mind’s eye, I looked and I saw the image of a town on a dark night. I did not see any people in this dream, only houses in a town. It was not a city nor did I see any businesses in the dream. There were no stars lit in the sky. The houses looked more like a 2-dimensional drawing than 3 dimensional figures but I knew in my mind there was a 3-dimensional space. The houses looked black but several of them looked like they had lights on but not all of them. In the sky, I didn’t actually see clouds but I knew they were there.
All of a sudden, the clouds were moved back as a tornado ripped down through the sky and touched the ground. However, this was no ordinary tornado. This tornado was a tornado of light. There was a swirling of light all the way through and around the tornado. It was bright with gleams of gold, yellow, and orange swirling in it and around it. The tornado was spinning so fast that I could not make out if there were objects swirling around it but I imagine they were.
The most interesting thing about this tornado is what happened as it touched the houses of the town. Everywhere the tornado touched, it would turn to platinum. Specifically, I saw the houses focused in on as the tornado turned them to platinum. As soon as they turned to platinum, they beamed with a brilliant light and radiated and gleamed off one another.
Through the center of the tornado of light, the image of a heart descended. When the heart descended ¼ of the distance between the clouds and the earth, it burst into flames. The flames then took the form of an eagle on fire. To clarify, the eagle’s substance remained as fire; it did not turn into flesh and feathers. The eagle was also about the same size as the houses, only maybe slightly smaller.
Then the flaming eagle swooped down from the tornado and started passing through different houses in the town. It didn’t fly in through doors or windows. It passed through as I imagine an angel would pass through a wall. As the eagle passed through the houses, I heard the words “hidden places.” It was almost as if the role of the flaming eagle was to seek out the hidden places. In it’s talons of fire, it held dark spirits pulled out of the houses.
Possible Interpretation:
In the physical realm, the tornado is an image of the power and might of destruction. In this dream, the converse was true: the tornado represents the image of transformation and glorification. This is not just any transformation – it is the quickening whereby the body of Christ is being accelerated from glory to glory. I imagine I almost imagine the tornado coming down first upon King of Glory as an image that it will be the beacon of transformation to Asheville and the surrounding areas. I think the tornado also represents God replacing what Satan would use for evil that God would use for good.
The platinum represents the purest form of gold. The kingdom of heaven has streets of gold. So then, the refiners fire is instantly transforming the body of Christ. The transformation is a glorious one and it is happening in the blink of an eye. In the end times, scripture says that He will pour out His Spirit on all mankind.
As stated before, I think the heart of God is to seek out the hidden places. This is where the heart turned flaming eagle comes in. The flaming eagle represents the passionate heart of God to draw out the inner dark hidden places un-relinquished by man. The restoration is incomplete without the hidden places being dealt with.
The Painted Message
Original Date: 2/17/09
What is really amazing is before I started this blog I got the phrase "Kingdom Chronicles" resonating in my mind. 2 Months later, I go to this prophetic series and it's called Kingdom Chronicles. Talk about confirmation. So, here's something that is so totally awesome.
King of Glory Church : Kingdom Chronicles Prophetic Series : Speaker Alan Smith
Summary:
“Kingdom Chronicles” as referred to here is a 3-part instructional series on equipping in the prophetic. This series was held at King of Glory Church and taught by a visiting speaker named Allen Smither, under the pastorate of reverend Samuel Fine. In Kingdom Chronicles Mr. Smith, gifted as a farmer, prophet, and scribe, proceeded to share with the audience stimulating insight into what God has taught him about principles of prophecy and operating in the prophetic.
During the second session on a Tuesday night, Mr. Smith requested the audience to participate with him in painting the word picture communicated by the Holy Spirit. To do this, he set up an easel and chalk and as he was teaching that night, he requested the audience to write down any image that came to their mind on the easel. After he was done teaching, he requested the audience to communicate any messages that came to their minds upon looking at the image. First, he requested single words be spoken. Then, he requested phrases.
Each of the words and phrases were written down for 2 of the prophetic sketches. After they were written down, Mr. Smith requested that the phrases be read aloud and scribed. Listed below are the words, the phrases, and the cumulative message.
Picture #1 words (in chronological order of writing):
*Dove* *I* *Lightning* *Trumpet* *Breakthrough*
*Life* *Bow* *Cross*
Picture #1 Phrases (in chronological order):
* Take the shroud off your head * *Covering of Blood* *The veil is ripped*
*The Dove is Descending* * The expansion of the realm of growth *
*The glory of the Lord will be revealed* *He’s coming*
*All flesh will see it together for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it*
*I am the resurrection and the life* *Breakthrough of Revelation in new life*
*The veil is ripped and the cross is revealed* *Darkness and light compete but light breaks through*
Picture #1 Message:
[My people] take the shroud off of your heads. The veil has been ripped [like lightning]. The dove is descending and there is an expansion in the realm of growth. The glory of the Lord will be revealed. He is coming and all flesh will see it together for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it. He said, “I am the resurrection and the life.” [It is through His blood covering that] there will be a breakthrough of revelation in new life. The veil has been ripped and the cross is revealed. Darkness and light competed, but the light breaks through [victoriously].
What is really amazing is before I started this blog I got the phrase "Kingdom Chronicles" resonating in my mind. 2 Months later, I go to this prophetic series and it's called Kingdom Chronicles. Talk about confirmation. So, here's something that is so totally awesome.
King of Glory Church : Kingdom Chronicles Prophetic Series : Speaker Alan Smith
Summary:
“Kingdom Chronicles” as referred to here is a 3-part instructional series on equipping in the prophetic. This series was held at King of Glory Church and taught by a visiting speaker named Allen Smither, under the pastorate of reverend Samuel Fine. In Kingdom Chronicles Mr. Smith, gifted as a farmer, prophet, and scribe, proceeded to share with the audience stimulating insight into what God has taught him about principles of prophecy and operating in the prophetic.
During the second session on a Tuesday night, Mr. Smith requested the audience to participate with him in painting the word picture communicated by the Holy Spirit. To do this, he set up an easel and chalk and as he was teaching that night, he requested the audience to write down any image that came to their mind on the easel. After he was done teaching, he requested the audience to communicate any messages that came to their minds upon looking at the image. First, he requested single words be spoken. Then, he requested phrases.
Each of the words and phrases were written down for 2 of the prophetic sketches. After they were written down, Mr. Smith requested that the phrases be read aloud and scribed. Listed below are the words, the phrases, and the cumulative message.
Picture #1 words (in chronological order of writing):
*Dove* *I* *Lightning* *Trumpet* *Breakthrough*
*Life* *Bow* *Cross*
Picture #1 Phrases (in chronological order):
* Take the shroud off your head * *Covering of Blood* *The veil is ripped*
*The Dove is Descending* * The expansion of the realm of growth *
*The glory of the Lord will be revealed* *He’s coming*
*All flesh will see it together for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it*
*I am the resurrection and the life* *Breakthrough of Revelation in new life*
*The veil is ripped and the cross is revealed* *Darkness and light compete but light breaks through*
Picture #1 Message:
[My people] take the shroud off of your heads. The veil has been ripped [like lightning]. The dove is descending and there is an expansion in the realm of growth. The glory of the Lord will be revealed. He is coming and all flesh will see it together for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it. He said, “I am the resurrection and the life.” [It is through His blood covering that] there will be a breakthrough of revelation in new life. The veil has been ripped and the cross is revealed. Darkness and light competed, but the light breaks through [victoriously].
Monday, February 16, 2009
Divine Design In Work
Have you ever seen something used for a purpose that was not its original design? Have you ever considered what your design is? Have you ever considered what your spiritual gifts are? Have you ever considered what your purpose and calling is?
In our computer shop, we have computers for tables and a cd player used for a prop to prop up a monitor. In both of these cases, neither the computer nor CD player is being used what it was designed for. Kind of funny huh? It's almost ridiculous to think about using a computer for a table.
If I, an electrical engineer design a speaker, I am designing it with a set of attributes. I am designing it to plug into a power source. I am designing it to receive a signal, and I am designing it to interpret that signal and pour forth music or other audio which the signal that comes through it. So, what if the speaker is used for a prop? What if I don't plug the speaker into a power source? What if it has no signal? What if its used for something else? The design is not flawed but the usage of the design is not correct.
We are made with a set of attributes. We were designed with a purpose. Romans 11:29 says that the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. This means that we do have gifts and we do have a call and a purpose. Part of the adventure of life is finding out what the gifts have to do with our calling.
Someone once told me that "work is for the sake of work." Work is for the sake of worship in doing what we were designed to do. JUST AS THE SPEAKERS WORKING TO POUR FORTH SOUND ARE A SIGNATURE OF THEIR CREATOR, SO WE WORKING IN THE GIFTINGS AND CALLING BEHOLD THE MAJESTY OF OUR CREATOR.
Work is not a curse. Toil is a a curse. The ground is cursed. This means that we will have struggles in our work, but when we do what we love, we are filled. We must find what we were created to do. John 7:38 says "From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water." This means that when we tap into what drives us, we flow with the rivers that make us alive!!!
In our computer shop, we have computers for tables and a cd player used for a prop to prop up a monitor. In both of these cases, neither the computer nor CD player is being used what it was designed for. Kind of funny huh? It's almost ridiculous to think about using a computer for a table.
If I, an electrical engineer design a speaker, I am designing it with a set of attributes. I am designing it to plug into a power source. I am designing it to receive a signal, and I am designing it to interpret that signal and pour forth music or other audio which the signal that comes through it. So, what if the speaker is used for a prop? What if I don't plug the speaker into a power source? What if it has no signal? What if its used for something else? The design is not flawed but the usage of the design is not correct.
We are made with a set of attributes. We were designed with a purpose. Romans 11:29 says that the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. This means that we do have gifts and we do have a call and a purpose. Part of the adventure of life is finding out what the gifts have to do with our calling.
Someone once told me that "work is for the sake of work." Work is for the sake of worship in doing what we were designed to do. JUST AS THE SPEAKERS WORKING TO POUR FORTH SOUND ARE A SIGNATURE OF THEIR CREATOR, SO WE WORKING IN THE GIFTINGS AND CALLING BEHOLD THE MAJESTY OF OUR CREATOR.
Work is not a curse. Toil is a a curse. The ground is cursed. This means that we will have struggles in our work, but when we do what we love, we are filled. We must find what we were created to do. John 7:38 says "From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water." This means that when we tap into what drives us, we flow with the rivers that make us alive!!!
Back To The Future Theology
One morning I was washing dishes and the weirdest word came to my mind. It was the word capacitor - not a word that typically comes to you when washing dishes. I thought about this word and what it might mean and a whole analogy came to my mind. Before I get into that though, I wanted to tell you about a capacitor:
Capacitor: An electrical device consisting of two conducting plates separated by an electrical insulator (the dielectric), designed to hold an electric charge. Charge builds up when a voltage is applied across the plates, creating an electric field between them. Current can flow through a capacitor only as the voltage across it is changing, not when it is constant.
In essence, a capacitor stores up energy to be released all at once in a power surge.
In Back to the Future 1, you have the McFly family. Before Marty goes to the past, what is going on with his family? If you remember, his family is not doing well. They are impoverished, unhealthy, oppressed, and are defensive. Biff is super-controlling and their "Future" looks bleak. Doctor Emmitt Brown "Doc" also dies.
So, what happens after Marty goes to the past? When he comes back, you see a completely different family. The mom and dad are both healthy. Marty's father, George lived out his true destiny and became a writer. The family is prosperous and the children have bright futures. The Doc has also been spared and no longer faces death.
The question is: what happened in between these two events? Something took hold of the fabric of time and shifted the course of events which altered the family's destiny. Lives were changed and the future was shifted for the better. Thinking about all this leads us back to the capacitor - The Flux Capacitor.
The Flux Capacitor is the device created that allows time travel possible. When the time machine gets up to speed (88 miles per hour), the flux capacitor releases its energy and the time machine rips through time. In the spiritual world, the flux capacitor is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the conductance point whereby the power of God is built up and transferred into earth at proper times.
The night that Marty takes a trip in the time machine, he has to get the time machine up to 88 miles per hour. The only way the flux capacitor will accumulate enough charge is for the car to get to 88 miles an hour. I equate this to getting up to speed with the holy spirit. When we get up to speed in the holy spirit, He then unleashes a charge through us that makes shifting the fabric of time possible.
The time that we get into the car and accelerate to 88 miles per hour takes is the kairos moment. In wikipedia.com, kairos has this definition: "a passing instant when an opening appears which must be driven through with force if success is to be achieved.' In the New Testament kairos means "the appointed time in the purpose of God", the time when God acts (e.g. Mark 1.15, the kairos is fulfilled)."
SO, IT IS IN THOSE KAIROS MOMENTS WHEREBY THE HOLY SPIRIT SHIFTS US INTO ARBITERS OF OPPORTUNITY. IN THE KAIROS MOMENT, THE HOLY SPIRIT THEN SHIFTS THE FABRIC OF TIME WHEREBY WE WORK WITH THE SPIRIT TO PERFORM A DESTINY CHANGE. When we encounter those moments, we must be ready to step into the vehicle, charge full speed ahead, and the power of God then surges through our vehicles to alter past, present and future.
We are arbiters of opportunity and destiny. God can use us with the help of the Holy Spirit to alter destinies. So, when has the Holy Spirit tugged on your heart? Moreover, when have we quenched the Holy Spirit? Quenching the Holy Spirit is like turning off the time machine so that we don't alter destinies for the better.
God Bless!
Capacitor: An electrical device consisting of two conducting plates separated by an electrical insulator (the dielectric), designed to hold an electric charge. Charge builds up when a voltage is applied across the plates, creating an electric field between them. Current can flow through a capacitor only as the voltage across it is changing, not when it is constant.
In essence, a capacitor stores up energy to be released all at once in a power surge.
In Back to the Future 1, you have the McFly family. Before Marty goes to the past, what is going on with his family? If you remember, his family is not doing well. They are impoverished, unhealthy, oppressed, and are defensive. Biff is super-controlling and their "Future" looks bleak. Doctor Emmitt Brown "Doc" also dies.
So, what happens after Marty goes to the past? When he comes back, you see a completely different family. The mom and dad are both healthy. Marty's father, George lived out his true destiny and became a writer. The family is prosperous and the children have bright futures. The Doc has also been spared and no longer faces death.
The question is: what happened in between these two events? Something took hold of the fabric of time and shifted the course of events which altered the family's destiny. Lives were changed and the future was shifted for the better. Thinking about all this leads us back to the capacitor - The Flux Capacitor.
The Flux Capacitor is the device created that allows time travel possible. When the time machine gets up to speed (88 miles per hour), the flux capacitor releases its energy and the time machine rips through time. In the spiritual world, the flux capacitor is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the conductance point whereby the power of God is built up and transferred into earth at proper times.
The night that Marty takes a trip in the time machine, he has to get the time machine up to 88 miles per hour. The only way the flux capacitor will accumulate enough charge is for the car to get to 88 miles an hour. I equate this to getting up to speed with the holy spirit. When we get up to speed in the holy spirit, He then unleashes a charge through us that makes shifting the fabric of time possible.
The time that we get into the car and accelerate to 88 miles per hour takes is the kairos moment. In wikipedia.com, kairos has this definition: "a passing instant when an opening appears which must be driven through with force if success is to be achieved.' In the New Testament kairos means "the appointed time in the purpose of God", the time when God acts (e.g. Mark 1.15, the kairos is fulfilled)."
SO, IT IS IN THOSE KAIROS MOMENTS WHEREBY THE HOLY SPIRIT SHIFTS US INTO ARBITERS OF OPPORTUNITY. IN THE KAIROS MOMENT, THE HOLY SPIRIT THEN SHIFTS THE FABRIC OF TIME WHEREBY WE WORK WITH THE SPIRIT TO PERFORM A DESTINY CHANGE. When we encounter those moments, we must be ready to step into the vehicle, charge full speed ahead, and the power of God then surges through our vehicles to alter past, present and future.
We are arbiters of opportunity and destiny. God can use us with the help of the Holy Spirit to alter destinies. So, when has the Holy Spirit tugged on your heart? Moreover, when have we quenched the Holy Spirit? Quenching the Holy Spirit is like turning off the time machine so that we don't alter destinies for the better.
God Bless!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Which is first - work or rest?
I recently had a conversation with someone about dealing with situations. The conversation boiled down to me saying "I have to be at peace before I can handle situations." The other person had to have situations handled before they could be at peace. So, the topic intrigued me. Well, today in my morning reading, this puzzle was solved for me in Rick Joyner's book "50 Days to a Firm Foundation." Here's what it said.
"Because man was created at the end of the sixth day, his first full day was the seventh day of creation, the day God rested. For man to have fellowship with God from the beginning, he had to start by entering God's rest..."
1. SATAN'S LIE IS ABOUT THE ORDER OF PEACE AND REST - One of the biggest lies that the enemy says to us is about the REST of God. Satan wants us to work first and rest later. Instead, scripture points out that we are to rest first, so that we can work!
2. THE CHAT WITH GOD IS IMPORTANT - A man and wife usually come together before they do something. If they don't, it usually means trouble. If the wife goes off and spends a bunch of money; If the husband goes and makes plans without consulting his wife. The same works in the spiritual realm. We, as the bride of Christ, are to have that fellowship and rest with God first before we tackle the next situation.
3. PEACE AND REST ARE THE HALLMARK - Rick Joyner also points out that peace and rest are the hallmark of every believer. When you rest in the Lord, he gives you His peace. When you walk in peace, then you show the world that you belong to God. If you are constantly striving and worrying, then how are you at peace?
4. THE TWO GENERALS - This leads me to something God has been showing me lately. If an army has commanders, privates, and generals, then so does Satan's army. Two of Satan's 5-star generals that give orders to all lesser demons are that of Pride and Fear. There are more but these are the two that I've been learning about the most.
5. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RACISM AND ANXIETY - Do you know what the difference is between racism and anxiety? When I use the term racism, I also include being a pharisee in that definition. Both are attacks of the enemy, both are targeted at the faith, and both undermine the believer. The difference is the order in which each one comes about. In Racism, the general of Pride attacks first and Fear finishes the person off. In Anxiety, Fear attacks first and Pride finishes the person off.
IT IS PRIDE TO THINK THAT ANY PROBLEM IS TOO BIG FOR GOD AND WE MUST FINISH IT OURSELVES! IT IS ALSO PRIDE TO THINK THAT WE ARE TOO BIG FOR ONE ANOTHER! CATCH THE DIFFERENCE? ANYTHING NOT DONE IN FAITH IS SIN!
"Because man was created at the end of the sixth day, his first full day was the seventh day of creation, the day God rested. For man to have fellowship with God from the beginning, he had to start by entering God's rest..."
1. SATAN'S LIE IS ABOUT THE ORDER OF PEACE AND REST - One of the biggest lies that the enemy says to us is about the REST of God. Satan wants us to work first and rest later. Instead, scripture points out that we are to rest first, so that we can work!
2. THE CHAT WITH GOD IS IMPORTANT - A man and wife usually come together before they do something. If they don't, it usually means trouble. If the wife goes off and spends a bunch of money; If the husband goes and makes plans without consulting his wife. The same works in the spiritual realm. We, as the bride of Christ, are to have that fellowship and rest with God first before we tackle the next situation.
3. PEACE AND REST ARE THE HALLMARK - Rick Joyner also points out that peace and rest are the hallmark of every believer. When you rest in the Lord, he gives you His peace. When you walk in peace, then you show the world that you belong to God. If you are constantly striving and worrying, then how are you at peace?
4. THE TWO GENERALS - This leads me to something God has been showing me lately. If an army has commanders, privates, and generals, then so does Satan's army. Two of Satan's 5-star generals that give orders to all lesser demons are that of Pride and Fear. There are more but these are the two that I've been learning about the most.
5. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RACISM AND ANXIETY - Do you know what the difference is between racism and anxiety? When I use the term racism, I also include being a pharisee in that definition. Both are attacks of the enemy, both are targeted at the faith, and both undermine the believer. The difference is the order in which each one comes about. In Racism, the general of Pride attacks first and Fear finishes the person off. In Anxiety, Fear attacks first and Pride finishes the person off.
IT IS PRIDE TO THINK THAT ANY PROBLEM IS TOO BIG FOR GOD AND WE MUST FINISH IT OURSELVES! IT IS ALSO PRIDE TO THINK THAT WE ARE TOO BIG FOR ONE ANOTHER! CATCH THE DIFFERENCE? ANYTHING NOT DONE IN FAITH IS SIN!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Stars and Black Holes
ALL CREATION DECLARES THE GLORY OF THE RISEN LORD
1. This past weekend, I went to Advance Auto parts because one of my headlights on my car had gone out. I went to the section where they kept the lights to look for one for my Chrysler Sebring. When I was looking on the back of the light container, I saw something that struck me as very peculiar. They rated their lights according to Temperature, Brightness, and Heat on a scale from 1-4. 1 being the highest and 4 being the lowest.
LIGHT 1: Temperature (4) Brightness (4) Life (1)
LIGHT 2: Temperature (3) Brightness (3) Life (2)
LIGHT 3: Temperature (1) Brightness (1) LIFE (4)
2. What struck me about this was that the
BRIGHTEST LIGHTS BURN THEMSELVES OUT FASTEST
and the
SIMPLE LIGHT HAS THE BEST LIFE
3. When we strive to be the brightest light on the road of life, we can burn ourselves out pretty quickly.
4. I was thinking about the concepts of stars as being lights. So, I switched from thinking about my car's lights to stars in the sky. I think back to my science days recalling: When a star expends all its energy, its gravitational pull causes it to collapse and eventually become a black hole. A star is intended to bring light whereas a black-hole drains all the light around it. This really struck me.
5. THE STARS (US) WERE INTENDED TO SHINE THE LIGHT OF OUR CREATOR BUT INSTEAD, FOCUSING ALL ITS ENERGY INWARDS, WE HAVE TURNED INTO BLACK HOLES. This is what happens when we become self-centered. "The Black Hole of Self-Centeredness." Believe you me. I can talk with confidence about this subject because I am intimately familiar with it.
6. IF WE BECOME SELF-CENTERED BLACK HOLES, HOW CAN WE SHINE THE LIGHT OF GOD?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. This new found understanding led me to a new image that popped into my head. I saw five stars. Each star represented the points of the five-fold ministry found in Ephesians 4:11 -
And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers...
2. I then saw those 5 stars form a constellation of an arrow pointing towards the moon, or, the body of Christ. I understood this to mean that the 5-fold giftings in unison are used to point to Christ and to the body of believers. After all, the stars have been used as guidepoints to get from point A to point B.
3. But then, I saw one of those stars dissappear. Now, the constellation was incomplete. ONE OF THE STARS HAD BECOME A BLACK HOLE. NOW THE CONSTELLATION CANNOT POINT TOWARDS THE INTENDED DESTINATION.
4. I took this to mean that God is requiring us each to be in full operation of our giftings and using them for the good of the others. No single star can make a constellation and if any are not shining their light then the message fades.
5. THE MESSAGE THEN IS TO LEARN, KNOW AND UNDERSTAND YOUR CALLING. FOCUS ON THE CONSTELLATION AND NOT THE STAR. THEN, ALLOW GOD'S LIGHT TO SHINE THROUGH YOU IN UNISON FOR THE GOOD OF THE BODY OF CHRIST.
1. This past weekend, I went to Advance Auto parts because one of my headlights on my car had gone out. I went to the section where they kept the lights to look for one for my Chrysler Sebring. When I was looking on the back of the light container, I saw something that struck me as very peculiar. They rated their lights according to Temperature, Brightness, and Heat on a scale from 1-4. 1 being the highest and 4 being the lowest.
LIGHT 1: Temperature (4) Brightness (4) Life (1)
LIGHT 2: Temperature (3) Brightness (3) Life (2)
LIGHT 3: Temperature (1) Brightness (1) LIFE (4)
2. What struck me about this was that the
BRIGHTEST LIGHTS BURN THEMSELVES OUT FASTEST
and the
SIMPLE LIGHT HAS THE BEST LIFE
3. When we strive to be the brightest light on the road of life, we can burn ourselves out pretty quickly.
4. I was thinking about the concepts of stars as being lights. So, I switched from thinking about my car's lights to stars in the sky. I think back to my science days recalling: When a star expends all its energy, its gravitational pull causes it to collapse and eventually become a black hole. A star is intended to bring light whereas a black-hole drains all the light around it. This really struck me.
5. THE STARS (US) WERE INTENDED TO SHINE THE LIGHT OF OUR CREATOR BUT INSTEAD, FOCUSING ALL ITS ENERGY INWARDS, WE HAVE TURNED INTO BLACK HOLES. This is what happens when we become self-centered. "The Black Hole of Self-Centeredness." Believe you me. I can talk with confidence about this subject because I am intimately familiar with it.
6. IF WE BECOME SELF-CENTERED BLACK HOLES, HOW CAN WE SHINE THE LIGHT OF GOD?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. This new found understanding led me to a new image that popped into my head. I saw five stars. Each star represented the points of the five-fold ministry found in Ephesians 4:11 -
And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers...
2. I then saw those 5 stars form a constellation of an arrow pointing towards the moon, or, the body of Christ. I understood this to mean that the 5-fold giftings in unison are used to point to Christ and to the body of believers. After all, the stars have been used as guidepoints to get from point A to point B.
3. But then, I saw one of those stars dissappear. Now, the constellation was incomplete. ONE OF THE STARS HAD BECOME A BLACK HOLE. NOW THE CONSTELLATION CANNOT POINT TOWARDS THE INTENDED DESTINATION.
4. I took this to mean that God is requiring us each to be in full operation of our giftings and using them for the good of the others. No single star can make a constellation and if any are not shining their light then the message fades.
5. THE MESSAGE THEN IS TO LEARN, KNOW AND UNDERSTAND YOUR CALLING. FOCUS ON THE CONSTELLATION AND NOT THE STAR. THEN, ALLOW GOD'S LIGHT TO SHINE THROUGH YOU IN UNISON FOR THE GOOD OF THE BODY OF CHRIST.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Kingdom Formulas
So, the other day a formula was revealed to me. After that, another, and then another. So, I will start a blog with formulas. If you get one, comment on this blog and let's add them up for the sake of others. No pun intended. Ok, maybe a little.
Racism = Pride + Fear
Satan's Stronghold = (Satan's lies + Wounding + Sins) * (Repeated over time)
God's Fortress = (God's Truth + Armor of God + Love) * (Repeated over time)
Evil Authority = Dominance + Arrogance + Sake of Self
Godly Authority = Shepherd + Responsibility + Sake of Others
Life = (Focus on Kingdom) * (Time with God) - (Focus on Self) * (Time on Self)
"He must increase, I must decrease"
Racism = Pride + Fear
Satan's Stronghold = (Satan's lies + Wounding + Sins) * (Repeated over time)
God's Fortress = (God's Truth + Armor of God + Love) * (Repeated over time)
Evil Authority = Dominance + Arrogance + Sake of Self
Godly Authority = Shepherd + Responsibility + Sake of Others
Life = (Focus on Kingdom) * (Time with God) - (Focus on Self) * (Time on Self)
"He must increase, I must decrease"
The Hurting Heart of God
Original Date: 2/9/09
Have you ever been cheated on? Have you ever had your heart broken? What did that feel like? Think about it for a moment.
Now, have you ever cheated on anybody? Have you ever committed adultery? Have you ever looked at pornography? Think about that for a moment.
If you were cheated on in a marriage, would you leave the person that cheated on you?
Scripture says that we are the bride of Christ. That means that we have committed adultery because we have all lusted and pursued something other than God.
Ezekial 6:9 really hit me one day. It says - "How I have been hurt by their adulterous hearts which turned away from Me, and by their eyes which played the harlot after their idols..."
GOD'S HEART HURTS BECAUSE OF OUR ADULTERY. The next time we try to judge one another for something, let's examine our own adultery and turn back to our love, the one true God. God loved us and stays with us even in the midst of our adultery.
Have you ever been cheated on? Have you ever had your heart broken? What did that feel like? Think about it for a moment.
Now, have you ever cheated on anybody? Have you ever committed adultery? Have you ever looked at pornography? Think about that for a moment.
If you were cheated on in a marriage, would you leave the person that cheated on you?
Scripture says that we are the bride of Christ. That means that we have committed adultery because we have all lusted and pursued something other than God.
Ezekial 6:9 really hit me one day. It says - "How I have been hurt by their adulterous hearts which turned away from Me, and by their eyes which played the harlot after their idols..."
GOD'S HEART HURTS BECAUSE OF OUR ADULTERY. The next time we try to judge one another for something, let's examine our own adultery and turn back to our love, the one true God. God loved us and stays with us even in the midst of our adultery.
Robert's Right Arm
Original Date: 2/9/09
God gave me an interesting image that popped into my head the other day that I thought I would share. I saw my friend Robert standing and his right arm was me. I myself was his right arm.
1. I thought about that and the verse popped into my head. Romans 12: 5 says - we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually MEMBERS OF ONE ANOTHER.
2. If then, I hit Robert, I as an arm, hit Robert, then I am hitting myself. If I call him stupid, then I'm calling myself stupid. If I insult him... you get the idea.
3. But also, it means this: If I insult myself by calling myself stupid, then I am calling Robert stupid. But if I, as an arm, am helping Robert, then I am helping myself and helping the entire body of Christ.
The image was completed today when I read about "Unity" in the book "50 days for a Firm Foundation." I saw as an image that Kim was the left arm.
4. Man and woman complete the image of one another. If men are not free, then women aren't free. In the same way, I wouldn't take one of my arms to bind and tie up the other.
5. I saw in my mind's eye Kim, as an arm, being shackled representing the women of this world being shackled. Men will not truly be free until women are. To free man and not woman is like freeing one arm and shackling the other.
6. Isaiah 65:8 says that "New wine is found in the cluster..." We are constantly looking for the new wine (new promises, new blessings) of God, yet God says it is in the cluster. That means the new promises of God are held within each other. Fellowship is the source for new blessings.
7. In the song by Casting Crowns called "If we are the body," they ask the question "If we are the body, why aren't his hands reaching?" Well, we would be much more free if we weren't constantly trying to shackle one another.
God bless!
God gave me an interesting image that popped into my head the other day that I thought I would share. I saw my friend Robert standing and his right arm was me. I myself was his right arm.
1. I thought about that and the verse popped into my head. Romans 12: 5 says - we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually MEMBERS OF ONE ANOTHER.
2. If then, I hit Robert, I as an arm, hit Robert, then I am hitting myself. If I call him stupid, then I'm calling myself stupid. If I insult him... you get the idea.
3. But also, it means this: If I insult myself by calling myself stupid, then I am calling Robert stupid. But if I, as an arm, am helping Robert, then I am helping myself and helping the entire body of Christ.
The image was completed today when I read about "Unity" in the book "50 days for a Firm Foundation." I saw as an image that Kim was the left arm.
4. Man and woman complete the image of one another. If men are not free, then women aren't free. In the same way, I wouldn't take one of my arms to bind and tie up the other.
5. I saw in my mind's eye Kim, as an arm, being shackled representing the women of this world being shackled. Men will not truly be free until women are. To free man and not woman is like freeing one arm and shackling the other.
6. Isaiah 65:8 says that "New wine is found in the cluster..." We are constantly looking for the new wine (new promises, new blessings) of God, yet God says it is in the cluster. That means the new promises of God are held within each other. Fellowship is the source for new blessings.
7. In the song by Casting Crowns called "If we are the body," they ask the question "If we are the body, why aren't his hands reaching?" Well, we would be much more free if we weren't constantly trying to shackle one another.
God bless!
Saturday, February 7, 2009
The Holiness Mirror
Original Date: 2/7/09
Ok, new download... God is so awesome!
1. 2 Corinthians 3:18 - But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.
2. What this means is that as we behold His glory, we will be changed into His image. The only way for us to become more Holy is for us to reflect more of His holiness. In Rick Joyner's book "50 Days for a Firm Foundation," he says "We will never be changed by dwelling on what is wrong with us, but rather by beholding the glory of God."
3. God gave me this image in my mind:
On one side of a mirror, there exists Satan, Demons, Flesh, Sin, and Darkness. In the middle exists the Mirror, which is me. On the other side is God Jesus, the Holy Spirit, Righteousness, and Light.
4. Ok, so, if we were to take this mirror into a dark room. We couldn't see anything, not even the mirror. In the same way, turning a mirror towards the darkness does not accomplish anything. You can sit there and tell a person their sins (only sins) all day long without any change whatsoever. POINTING OUT DARKNESS DOES NOTHING BUT PERPETUATE AND PROLONG DARKNESS.
5. However, if you turn that mirror towards God's light, not only do you restore righteousness but you eradicate darkness AT THE SAME TIME. It is God's job to bring light to situations. It is our role to be mirrors of His light and to help other people turn their mirrors towards Him.
6. The book "Freedom Tools," by Andy Reese, talks about how to equip people as emotional healers. It sheds the light of Christ on how to help people come into God's presence. In the book, Andy talks about some good ways and bad ways of dealing with people in a healing session:
Example 1:
Bad: I want to tell you what your problems are.
Good: Can I share with you a picture the Lord gave me that I wrote down? I
think it will encourage you.
Example 2:
Bad: That sin is where it all began.
Good: Can you see that this action seems to be a root for some of your current
issues?
Example 3:
Bad: That's sin - no way!
Good: Let's ask Jesus what He has to say about that, okay?
7. John 3:30 - He must increase, I must decrease. Another way of looking at this is He must increase IN ORDER FOR me to decrease. I agree with Rick Joyner when he says, if we get this backwards, then it will result in the religious spirit of the pharisees and personal control.
8. Our goal should never be to point at darkness but to point at light. THAT WHICH WE FOCUS ON, WE WILL MAGNIFY! Let's magnify God by speaking the truth in love.
Ok, new download... God is so awesome!
1. 2 Corinthians 3:18 - But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.
2. What this means is that as we behold His glory, we will be changed into His image. The only way for us to become more Holy is for us to reflect more of His holiness. In Rick Joyner's book "50 Days for a Firm Foundation," he says "We will never be changed by dwelling on what is wrong with us, but rather by beholding the glory of God."
3. God gave me this image in my mind:
On one side of a mirror, there exists Satan, Demons, Flesh, Sin, and Darkness. In the middle exists the Mirror, which is me. On the other side is God Jesus, the Holy Spirit, Righteousness, and Light.
4. Ok, so, if we were to take this mirror into a dark room. We couldn't see anything, not even the mirror. In the same way, turning a mirror towards the darkness does not accomplish anything. You can sit there and tell a person their sins (only sins) all day long without any change whatsoever. POINTING OUT DARKNESS DOES NOTHING BUT PERPETUATE AND PROLONG DARKNESS.
5. However, if you turn that mirror towards God's light, not only do you restore righteousness but you eradicate darkness AT THE SAME TIME. It is God's job to bring light to situations. It is our role to be mirrors of His light and to help other people turn their mirrors towards Him.
6. The book "Freedom Tools," by Andy Reese, talks about how to equip people as emotional healers. It sheds the light of Christ on how to help people come into God's presence. In the book, Andy talks about some good ways and bad ways of dealing with people in a healing session:
Example 1:
Bad: I want to tell you what your problems are.
Good: Can I share with you a picture the Lord gave me that I wrote down? I
think it will encourage you.
Example 2:
Bad: That sin is where it all began.
Good: Can you see that this action seems to be a root for some of your current
issues?
Example 3:
Bad: That's sin - no way!
Good: Let's ask Jesus what He has to say about that, okay?
7. John 3:30 - He must increase, I must decrease. Another way of looking at this is He must increase IN ORDER FOR me to decrease. I agree with Rick Joyner when he says, if we get this backwards, then it will result in the religious spirit of the pharisees and personal control.
8. Our goal should never be to point at darkness but to point at light. THAT WHICH WE FOCUS ON, WE WILL MAGNIFY! Let's magnify God by speaking the truth in love.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Spiritual life through the eyes of a computer
Ok, so this is an interesting download and revelation but a profound one. I work in the computer world so especially unique way to think about the spiritual world. (Note, this applies to PC users... Macs, be patient) So, here we go.
1. The Operating System - The operating system of the computer is the primary software that runs the computer. It is the set of rules, systems, and programs to operate how the computer performs. Through it all processes happen for every part of the machine. Compare that to us. We have a heart, soul, mind, and body. Within that heart, soul, mind, and body, we have a belief system, a set of rules that we live by like concepts of fairness, etc., and a structure and order that we follow. We have mindsets that we adhere to that determine personality.
2. Different by Design - Each computer is designed to do different things just as each person is designed to do different things. Think of RAM as the ability to process information and how much information could be taken in at one time. Think of Hard Drive size as how much a person can remember. Imagine someone who has 20 Gigs of RAM and a 5 Gig Hard Drive. If that doesn't make sense, this just means that this person can process a lot of information really fast but not store any of it to memory. Some computers have video software attached, some have audio attached. If we were all computers in a corporation, each computer would perform a different function, but we are all computers and we all are designed for a purpose.
3. The Data - Information is stored in our heads and our hearts just as they are in a computer. Information flows from one place to another on a regular basis. The data also varies from computer to computer as does the data from person to person. The data present in the computer can speed up or slow down a computer. It can create cause problems or create solutions.
4. The Internet - The internet is the channel for communication in the computer's world. In our world, communication comes through the natural channel and the spiritual channel, which looking at it from a big picture perspective, are really the same. From the internet, data can be downloaded that can be both positive and negative, harmful or protective. In our world, Satan can lie to us, God can encourage us, people can bring us down or people can build us up.
5. Malware - This is a collective term for all malicious software that can be downloaded onto the computer. Malware includes viruses, adware, spyware, etc. Spyware is designed to spy on you. In the spiritual realm, this is like the enemy sending out scouts to collect data on you. The data allows the enemy to then exploit or manipulate you in some way, shape or form. Adware is designed to get you to pursue ads that pop up on the screen. Think of it as advertisement-software. Satan is trying to advertise to you to get you to go to different sites, etc.
6. Viruses destroy the Operating System - So, worst of all is that viruses destroy the operating system. Depending on what we allow into our minds, hearts, and bodies, Satan can destroy us. In fact, Satan can re-arrange our entire operating system so that we no longer become functional. Our mindsets are altered, our belief system is shaken, and we have been marred from our original creative purpose. Our blue (depressed) screen of death comes up and we can no longer work the way we are supposed to work.
7. Re-loading the operating system - When a computer is beyond repair because it's operating system is so corrupted, then it's time for a re-load. All the data that is on the computer, save maybe (pictures) memories, (documents), are destroyed. The old operating system has to go and a new one has to be installed. This is like when Jesus comes into our hearts. He formats (cleans everything out) and starts us on the right foot. The computer is ready to run well again.
8. The anti-virus software - Unfortunately, the enemy won't stop coming to try and destroy the operating system (what's in you). If you are not protected, you will get hit. But thank God for Anti-virus software. The anti-virus software suite is designed with a set of tools to equip your computer to handle viruses - sins, attacks, demons, lies, wounds. Tools consist of things like active and passive scanners, security updates, Virus Definitions, anti-rootkits, and a firewall.
9. The Security Updates - God wants us to become more secure in who He is. It is only by truth being revealed in our life that our security level is enhanced and we are greater immunized/protected. Security updates come through reading God's word and having people bless your spirit.
10. The Virus Definitions - These are a list of known enemy attacks and how to destroy them. When a virus scan is run, the more virus definitions that are active allow the scan to destroy a greater number of viruses. Virus definitions are updated by reading God's word.
11. Active Scanners - This would be like when you click on the button that says "Scan My computer" now. You are actively looking for infections and lies and attacks of the enemy. Active Scanner is like us praying fervently for realease and forgiveness. It also can release a person from sickness or bondage.
12. Passive Scanner - This is active when the computer's opperating sytem is doing it's day-to-day thing. The Holy Spirit is iterceding in computer clicks and occassionally, it may find something wrong. Then, the Holy Spirit scan brings it to your attention to get rid of it.
13. Anti-Rootkits - Now, here is where the fun begins. Really nasty viruses create what are called rootkits. These are bases of operation and a defense post for viruses. Imagine an underground swarm of demons waiting for attack time. They are protected from most of the scans/prayers. The anti-rootkit software is designed to unearth these spiritual strongholds and destroy them. They open up the opportunity for the other defense mechanisms to destroy the viruses. An anti-rootkit would be comparable to prayer, fasting, forgiveness, healing ministry, and casting out the demonic forces. Basically, Operation overkill. Compare a rootkit to a stronghold.
14. The last tool is my favorite of all. You will get hit but it allows you to stop the attacks from coming through. Nothing can access your operating system without bypassing it. This is the FIREWALL. A firewall is a gateway that won't let anything in or out without the user's permission. Paul said "Take every thought captive to the authority of Christ." Christ is the Gatekeeper and can stop every single threat to your operating system.
15. Closing - We all have problems with our operating systems. However, there is hope. Through the tools God has given us, we can defend against and actually destroy the enemy. We have to be equipped through the word. We pray to find the viruses and we use the word of God to destroy them. It is only when we come to enlightenment and become a mac that everything changes. Then, there is no need for virus protection.
1. The Operating System - The operating system of the computer is the primary software that runs the computer. It is the set of rules, systems, and programs to operate how the computer performs. Through it all processes happen for every part of the machine. Compare that to us. We have a heart, soul, mind, and body. Within that heart, soul, mind, and body, we have a belief system, a set of rules that we live by like concepts of fairness, etc., and a structure and order that we follow. We have mindsets that we adhere to that determine personality.
2. Different by Design - Each computer is designed to do different things just as each person is designed to do different things. Think of RAM as the ability to process information and how much information could be taken in at one time. Think of Hard Drive size as how much a person can remember. Imagine someone who has 20 Gigs of RAM and a 5 Gig Hard Drive. If that doesn't make sense, this just means that this person can process a lot of information really fast but not store any of it to memory. Some computers have video software attached, some have audio attached. If we were all computers in a corporation, each computer would perform a different function, but we are all computers and we all are designed for a purpose.
3. The Data - Information is stored in our heads and our hearts just as they are in a computer. Information flows from one place to another on a regular basis. The data also varies from computer to computer as does the data from person to person. The data present in the computer can speed up or slow down a computer. It can create cause problems or create solutions.
4. The Internet - The internet is the channel for communication in the computer's world. In our world, communication comes through the natural channel and the spiritual channel, which looking at it from a big picture perspective, are really the same. From the internet, data can be downloaded that can be both positive and negative, harmful or protective. In our world, Satan can lie to us, God can encourage us, people can bring us down or people can build us up.
5. Malware - This is a collective term for all malicious software that can be downloaded onto the computer. Malware includes viruses, adware, spyware, etc. Spyware is designed to spy on you. In the spiritual realm, this is like the enemy sending out scouts to collect data on you. The data allows the enemy to then exploit or manipulate you in some way, shape or form. Adware is designed to get you to pursue ads that pop up on the screen. Think of it as advertisement-software. Satan is trying to advertise to you to get you to go to different sites, etc.
6. Viruses destroy the Operating System - So, worst of all is that viruses destroy the operating system. Depending on what we allow into our minds, hearts, and bodies, Satan can destroy us. In fact, Satan can re-arrange our entire operating system so that we no longer become functional. Our mindsets are altered, our belief system is shaken, and we have been marred from our original creative purpose. Our blue (depressed) screen of death comes up and we can no longer work the way we are supposed to work.
7. Re-loading the operating system - When a computer is beyond repair because it's operating system is so corrupted, then it's time for a re-load. All the data that is on the computer, save maybe (pictures) memories, (documents), are destroyed. The old operating system has to go and a new one has to be installed. This is like when Jesus comes into our hearts. He formats (cleans everything out) and starts us on the right foot. The computer is ready to run well again.
8. The anti-virus software - Unfortunately, the enemy won't stop coming to try and destroy the operating system (what's in you). If you are not protected, you will get hit. But thank God for Anti-virus software. The anti-virus software suite is designed with a set of tools to equip your computer to handle viruses - sins, attacks, demons, lies, wounds. Tools consist of things like active and passive scanners, security updates, Virus Definitions, anti-rootkits, and a firewall.
9. The Security Updates - God wants us to become more secure in who He is. It is only by truth being revealed in our life that our security level is enhanced and we are greater immunized/protected. Security updates come through reading God's word and having people bless your spirit.
10. The Virus Definitions - These are a list of known enemy attacks and how to destroy them. When a virus scan is run, the more virus definitions that are active allow the scan to destroy a greater number of viruses. Virus definitions are updated by reading God's word.
11. Active Scanners - This would be like when you click on the button that says "Scan My computer" now. You are actively looking for infections and lies and attacks of the enemy. Active Scanner is like us praying fervently for realease and forgiveness. It also can release a person from sickness or bondage.
12. Passive Scanner - This is active when the computer's opperating sytem is doing it's day-to-day thing. The Holy Spirit is iterceding in computer clicks and occassionally, it may find something wrong. Then, the Holy Spirit scan brings it to your attention to get rid of it.
13. Anti-Rootkits - Now, here is where the fun begins. Really nasty viruses create what are called rootkits. These are bases of operation and a defense post for viruses. Imagine an underground swarm of demons waiting for attack time. They are protected from most of the scans/prayers. The anti-rootkit software is designed to unearth these spiritual strongholds and destroy them. They open up the opportunity for the other defense mechanisms to destroy the viruses. An anti-rootkit would be comparable to prayer, fasting, forgiveness, healing ministry, and casting out the demonic forces. Basically, Operation overkill. Compare a rootkit to a stronghold.
14. The last tool is my favorite of all. You will get hit but it allows you to stop the attacks from coming through. Nothing can access your operating system without bypassing it. This is the FIREWALL. A firewall is a gateway that won't let anything in or out without the user's permission. Paul said "Take every thought captive to the authority of Christ." Christ is the Gatekeeper and can stop every single threat to your operating system.
15. Closing - We all have problems with our operating systems. However, there is hope. Through the tools God has given us, we can defend against and actually destroy the enemy. We have to be equipped through the word. We pray to find the viruses and we use the word of God to destroy them. It is only when we come to enlightenment and become a mac that everything changes. Then, there is no need for virus protection.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Captive to Commander
Original Date: 2/4/09
1. In the spiritual world, Satan wants to tell us a lie over and over so that we will eventually believe it. I wrote about this in the blog, "Counterfeit Confirmation." He will tell others lies to get them to believe certain things. He will tell someone a lie to get that person to tell another person the same lie.
2. So, here's a question: what would happen if the lies of Satan and his forces are then wound together with the wounding that others have caused us, and the sin that has entangled us? It becomes what is known as a stronghold.
(Lies + Wounding + Sin)(Repeated Over Time) = Stronghold!
3. So then, how should we think about a stronghold? Well, I look at it like this: A stronghold is designed as a military base to keep you held captive. You are chained by hands and feet, you are in a prison cell behind bars, you are guarded by an enemy soldier. But, what's cool is that most any work of the enemy is not his own creativity. Rather, it is a counterfeit of something God created. So, if Satan constructed the stronghold, what was God's original intention? That would be the fortress!
4. David said in Psalms over and over again that "God, you are my fortress and my deliverer." The fortress represents a refuge. It is a military installation that defends the people within. You are not only protected, but you have the weapons needed to defeat the enemy. You are also protected by other members of the army, including angels.
5. In fact, since we are given charge over angels, then we are commanders in the forces of God's army. So, then the question becomes: how do we go from captive to commander?
6. First, we have to get free. To get free, the stronghold has to be penetrated. Lies have to be replaced with truth. Wounding has to be healed. Sin has to be destroyed. Once we are free, then we must enter the fortress of God. We are then trained by the word of God and commissioned as a Commander. Exciting!
7. God has called us all to be commanders but we have to seek freedom in order to get there.
1. In the spiritual world, Satan wants to tell us a lie over and over so that we will eventually believe it. I wrote about this in the blog, "Counterfeit Confirmation." He will tell others lies to get them to believe certain things. He will tell someone a lie to get that person to tell another person the same lie.
2. So, here's a question: what would happen if the lies of Satan and his forces are then wound together with the wounding that others have caused us, and the sin that has entangled us? It becomes what is known as a stronghold.
(Lies + Wounding + Sin)(Repeated Over Time) = Stronghold!
3. So then, how should we think about a stronghold? Well, I look at it like this: A stronghold is designed as a military base to keep you held captive. You are chained by hands and feet, you are in a prison cell behind bars, you are guarded by an enemy soldier. But, what's cool is that most any work of the enemy is not his own creativity. Rather, it is a counterfeit of something God created. So, if Satan constructed the stronghold, what was God's original intention? That would be the fortress!
4. David said in Psalms over and over again that "God, you are my fortress and my deliverer." The fortress represents a refuge. It is a military installation that defends the people within. You are not only protected, but you have the weapons needed to defeat the enemy. You are also protected by other members of the army, including angels.
5. In fact, since we are given charge over angels, then we are commanders in the forces of God's army. So, then the question becomes: how do we go from captive to commander?
6. First, we have to get free. To get free, the stronghold has to be penetrated. Lies have to be replaced with truth. Wounding has to be healed. Sin has to be destroyed. Once we are free, then we must enter the fortress of God. We are then trained by the word of God and commissioned as a Commander. Exciting!
7. God has called us all to be commanders but we have to seek freedom in order to get there.
Counterfeit Confirmations
Original Date: 2/4/09
1. Have you ever heard someone say "I received confirmation?" Well, they usually are referring to a time when they hear something repeated two or three or more times by different people. Some people receive confirmation in the form of advice, direction, or Godly council. Others receive confirmation in day-to-day happenings. One example of a day-to-day confirmation is if Jane received a diagnosis from a doctor and she wants a second opinion. She gets a second opinion from a second doctor and usually goes along with the course of treatment recommended.
2. What is so critical is that we are all searching for confirmation. We can hear something from someone one time and it may not affect us. If we hear it multiple times, then we pay more close attention to it. When something is repeated multiple times, it is very important to pay attention, especially if it is in the Bible.
3. Confirmation not only applies to the physical realm, but also to the spiritual realm. And, since it is not flesh and blood that we fight, but principalities and powers, confirmation becomes really important in the fight. In the spiritual world, Satan wants to tell us a lie over and over so that we will eventually believe it. He will tell others lies to get them to believe certain things. He will tell someone a lie to get that person to tell another person the same lie.
4. So, how do you guage whether a confirmation is from God or not? Paul says to test the spirits. This means to figure out which force is behind the confirmation. If it’s God, you will start to see some common themes:
A. The confirmation will edify and uplift
B. The confirmation will honor God and His children
C. The confirmation will shine light in the darkness
D. The confirmation will be spoken out of love
If it’s not of God then you will also see some common themes:
A. The counterfeit confirmation will breakdown and destroy
B. The counterfeit confirmation will degrade and bring doubt, fear, and worry
C. The counterfeit confirmation will be used as a defense mechanism or attack
D. The counterfeit confirmation will be commonly be spread by gossip
5. We can be taken in by counterfeit confirmations. Let’s say, for example, that a character flaw exists in John. Satan will use the person most likely to attack that person for that flaw. Let’s say that that person is Jane. Satan will tell multiple people to tell Jane about the character flaw in John. The counterfeit confirmation would then be used to tear down John for that character flaw. The confirmation would be used to “love” him out of that character flaw. Catch the difference?
6. Satan will always try to twist words to destroy humanity. He did it in the Garden of Eden. He does today. Be careful to test the spirits for counterfeit confirmations.
1. Have you ever heard someone say "I received confirmation?" Well, they usually are referring to a time when they hear something repeated two or three or more times by different people. Some people receive confirmation in the form of advice, direction, or Godly council. Others receive confirmation in day-to-day happenings. One example of a day-to-day confirmation is if Jane received a diagnosis from a doctor and she wants a second opinion. She gets a second opinion from a second doctor and usually goes along with the course of treatment recommended.
2. What is so critical is that we are all searching for confirmation. We can hear something from someone one time and it may not affect us. If we hear it multiple times, then we pay more close attention to it. When something is repeated multiple times, it is very important to pay attention, especially if it is in the Bible.
3. Confirmation not only applies to the physical realm, but also to the spiritual realm. And, since it is not flesh and blood that we fight, but principalities and powers, confirmation becomes really important in the fight. In the spiritual world, Satan wants to tell us a lie over and over so that we will eventually believe it. He will tell others lies to get them to believe certain things. He will tell someone a lie to get that person to tell another person the same lie.
4. So, how do you guage whether a confirmation is from God or not? Paul says to test the spirits. This means to figure out which force is behind the confirmation. If it’s God, you will start to see some common themes:
A. The confirmation will edify and uplift
B. The confirmation will honor God and His children
C. The confirmation will shine light in the darkness
D. The confirmation will be spoken out of love
If it’s not of God then you will also see some common themes:
A. The counterfeit confirmation will breakdown and destroy
B. The counterfeit confirmation will degrade and bring doubt, fear, and worry
C. The counterfeit confirmation will be used as a defense mechanism or attack
D. The counterfeit confirmation will be commonly be spread by gossip
5. We can be taken in by counterfeit confirmations. Let’s say, for example, that a character flaw exists in John. Satan will use the person most likely to attack that person for that flaw. Let’s say that that person is Jane. Satan will tell multiple people to tell Jane about the character flaw in John. The counterfeit confirmation would then be used to tear down John for that character flaw. The confirmation would be used to “love” him out of that character flaw. Catch the difference?
6. Satan will always try to twist words to destroy humanity. He did it in the Garden of Eden. He does today. Be careful to test the spirits for counterfeit confirmations.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Build The Formation Challenge
Original Date: 2/3/2009
This isn't really an event as much as it is a process and a challenge that was a powerful message from a woman in my church. And I really didn't know how to compose a note to send to everyone so I'm sending it here on the events. I am writing this challenge because we are in the drudgery of an unsettling economy, trying times, and questionable circumstances. People are facing depression, sickness, poverty, job loss, you name it.
This challenge is for us to come together to defend each other, work together, and sharpen each other's swords - remember, iron sharpens iron. In the movie "The Gladiator," the unit of roman soldiers was called a "Centuria" led by a centurion. When they came together in formation, a row of soldiers in front would put out their shields defending the front and guys on each side. The row of soldiers behind them would put their shields horizontally over their heads protecting them and the guys in the front. This created an impenetrable wall and proved highly effective in combat.
Like the centuria, we are in a battle. Actually, we are battling so many things right now which is why we must recognize that we are all part of a team. The men that made up the centuria were all working together to defend one another. We need to be doing the same. We have to be praying for one another, helping one another out, and encouraging one another. Lay aside any differences and come together for the good of the team.
For a Roman soldier, it was absolutely unacceptable to break formation. If the formation was broken then everyone was in jeopardy. That's where we are at now. We have to stand together in formation or we won't stand.
The challenge has four parts (Add more if you like):
Part 1:
Choose 3 friends that you will be praying for every day. For every friend that you pray for, ask them to pray for 3 more besides the one praying for them.
Part 2:
Find someone or more than someone that you can bless. There are more than enough people right now in need of groceries or money. See what you can spare and share it.
Part 3:
This may be the hardest part. Find someone that you have unforgiveness or dissension against. Make amends, forgive, solve conflicts, and come together in agreement. If they are unwilling/unresponsive, then pray for them to be blessed.
Part 4:
Pass this challenge along to as many people as you can.
Additionally, let's be praying for us to hear God's voice in these trying times. We have two ears and one mouth. So, let's listen to God twice as much as we talk. We must come back to the fear of the Lord if we hope to overcome. Fearing God is the beginning of wisdom!
This isn't really an event as much as it is a process and a challenge that was a powerful message from a woman in my church. And I really didn't know how to compose a note to send to everyone so I'm sending it here on the events. I am writing this challenge because we are in the drudgery of an unsettling economy, trying times, and questionable circumstances. People are facing depression, sickness, poverty, job loss, you name it.
This challenge is for us to come together to defend each other, work together, and sharpen each other's swords - remember, iron sharpens iron. In the movie "The Gladiator," the unit of roman soldiers was called a "Centuria" led by a centurion. When they came together in formation, a row of soldiers in front would put out their shields defending the front and guys on each side. The row of soldiers behind them would put their shields horizontally over their heads protecting them and the guys in the front. This created an impenetrable wall and proved highly effective in combat.
Like the centuria, we are in a battle. Actually, we are battling so many things right now which is why we must recognize that we are all part of a team. The men that made up the centuria were all working together to defend one another. We need to be doing the same. We have to be praying for one another, helping one another out, and encouraging one another. Lay aside any differences and come together for the good of the team.
For a Roman soldier, it was absolutely unacceptable to break formation. If the formation was broken then everyone was in jeopardy. That's where we are at now. We have to stand together in formation or we won't stand.
The challenge has four parts (Add more if you like):
Part 1:
Choose 3 friends that you will be praying for every day. For every friend that you pray for, ask them to pray for 3 more besides the one praying for them.
Part 2:
Find someone or more than someone that you can bless. There are more than enough people right now in need of groceries or money. See what you can spare and share it.
Part 3:
This may be the hardest part. Find someone that you have unforgiveness or dissension against. Make amends, forgive, solve conflicts, and come together in agreement. If they are unwilling/unresponsive, then pray for them to be blessed.
Part 4:
Pass this challenge along to as many people as you can.
Additionally, let's be praying for us to hear God's voice in these trying times. We have two ears and one mouth. So, let's listen to God twice as much as we talk. We must come back to the fear of the Lord if we hope to overcome. Fearing God is the beginning of wisdom!
Monday, February 2, 2009
Johnny Appleseed Wisdom
Original Date: 2/2/09
So, I read an interesting quote this morning:
Johnny Appleseed: "Any man can count the seeds in an apple but only God can count the apples in a seed."
That phrase gave me a whole new perspective on the principle of sewing and reaping. Think of it like this: You are a farmer. All you have to live on is the food at the harvest. So, you have to sew seeds to yield the fruit. Well, you are not going to throw in bad seed, are you? If you throw in bad seed, you will get bad fruit.
It's the same in the spiritual world. Only in the spiritual world, words are seeds. If you are sewing seeds of bitterness, you will have to eat the fruit of that bitterness. Sew only the seeds of that which you would want to eat.
So, I read an interesting quote this morning:
Johnny Appleseed: "Any man can count the seeds in an apple but only God can count the apples in a seed."
That phrase gave me a whole new perspective on the principle of sewing and reaping. Think of it like this: You are a farmer. All you have to live on is the food at the harvest. So, you have to sew seeds to yield the fruit. Well, you are not going to throw in bad seed, are you? If you throw in bad seed, you will get bad fruit.
It's the same in the spiritual world. Only in the spiritual world, words are seeds. If you are sewing seeds of bitterness, you will have to eat the fruit of that bitterness. Sew only the seeds of that which you would want to eat.
Does God block out our prayers?
Original Date: 2/2/09
A man once told me that my generation has to come back to the "Fear of the Lord." He had one message for me. If you do anything, teach your generation the fear of the Lord. I think about that and today I had a breakthrough on what he meant by that.
1. Challenge: Go to bible.com and look up "Fear of the Lord." You will be amazed at what all you find. In the old testament, often the "Fear of the Lord" was mentioned in commands to the people and examples before the love of the Lord was.
2. So, why do we learn the fear of the Lord? Well, first of all the "Fear of the Lord" is the beginning of wisdom (Psalm 111:10). So, for us to even start being wise, we have to have a good healthy portion of some God-fear! David and Solomon talk about the "Fear of the Lord" as the "Beginning of wisdom and these 2 men were considered "The Man after God's Own Heart" and "The wisest man on earth." So, we should probably pay attention.
3. Now, what is the "Fear of the Lord?" In Deuteronomy 31:12 it says "fear the LORD your God, and be careful to observe all the words of this law." "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverted mouth, I hate." Unfortunately, we have not trembled in His presnence (Jeremiah 5:22) enough.
4. 2 Chronicles 19:7 says: ""Now then let the fear of the LORD be upon you; be very careful what you do, for the LORD our God will have no part in unrighteousness." If God has no part in unrighteousness, nor should we. Job 28:28 - "And to depart from evil is understanding.'"
5. So, then, what are some reasons for wanting a good healthy dose of fear? Well, of course, He is the God of the universe and not to fear Him would be absolutely retarded. Apart from the obvious, we already said there is wisdom. Also, here are some more:
Psalm 34:9 There is no want!
Psalm 103:13 God has compassion!
Psalm 112:1 God showers His blessings!
Psalm 115:11 God guards you with His shield!
Proverbs 2:5 Know the knowledge of God!
Proverbs 14:26 There is refuge!
Proverbs 22:4 Riches, Honor, and Life!
6. So then, what happens when we don't have a fear of the Lord? I had always heard that God always answers prayers in one of three ways: Yes, No, and Wait. I think that this is bad theology and incongruent with scripture. It's more like, Yes, No, Wait, and I don't hear you.
7. "I don't hear you" is the most dangerous one of all because it means that God can shut off communication with us. This is because we shut off communication with Him. So, then, what happens when we don't have a fear of the Lord and this communication is cut off:
Deuteronomy 28: Famine, Curses, Destruction, Poverty, and you get the idea.
8. What really hit me more than anything is that God can block out our prayers. Lamentations 3:44 says: "You have covered Yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can pass through." Jeremiah calls out to God and asks Him not to hide his ear from his prayer." (Lamentations 3:56)
9. So, then you may be saying in your mind, "What about the new covenant?" After Jesus rose again, God sent us the Holy Spirit. The guys in the old testament didn't have the Holy Spirit. To whom much is given, much is expected.
10. If we have the Holy Spirit living inside us, why don't we start administering the Spirit? We, too often, will quench the Holy Spirit, then we are left to just us and God the Father. Now, when we quench the Spirit, then we often times neglect the fear of the Lord. If the Holy Spirit is our intercessor, then we have again blocked off the communication to God the Father.
11. Acts 9:31 "So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase." Some of us have gotten too comfortable with the Spirit. But this passage says that when we continue in the Fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Spirit, that is where increase happens!
A man once told me that my generation has to come back to the "Fear of the Lord." He had one message for me. If you do anything, teach your generation the fear of the Lord. I think about that and today I had a breakthrough on what he meant by that.
1. Challenge: Go to bible.com and look up "Fear of the Lord." You will be amazed at what all you find. In the old testament, often the "Fear of the Lord" was mentioned in commands to the people and examples before the love of the Lord was.
2. So, why do we learn the fear of the Lord? Well, first of all the "Fear of the Lord" is the beginning of wisdom (Psalm 111:10). So, for us to even start being wise, we have to have a good healthy portion of some God-fear! David and Solomon talk about the "Fear of the Lord" as the "Beginning of wisdom and these 2 men were considered "The Man after God's Own Heart" and "The wisest man on earth." So, we should probably pay attention.
3. Now, what is the "Fear of the Lord?" In Deuteronomy 31:12 it says "fear the LORD your God, and be careful to observe all the words of this law." "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverted mouth, I hate." Unfortunately, we have not trembled in His presnence (Jeremiah 5:22) enough.
4. 2 Chronicles 19:7 says: ""Now then let the fear of the LORD be upon you; be very careful what you do, for the LORD our God will have no part in unrighteousness." If God has no part in unrighteousness, nor should we. Job 28:28 - "And to depart from evil is understanding.'"
5. So, then, what are some reasons for wanting a good healthy dose of fear? Well, of course, He is the God of the universe and not to fear Him would be absolutely retarded. Apart from the obvious, we already said there is wisdom. Also, here are some more:
Psalm 34:9 There is no want!
Psalm 103:13 God has compassion!
Psalm 112:1 God showers His blessings!
Psalm 115:11 God guards you with His shield!
Proverbs 2:5 Know the knowledge of God!
Proverbs 14:26 There is refuge!
Proverbs 22:4 Riches, Honor, and Life!
6. So then, what happens when we don't have a fear of the Lord? I had always heard that God always answers prayers in one of three ways: Yes, No, and Wait. I think that this is bad theology and incongruent with scripture. It's more like, Yes, No, Wait, and I don't hear you.
7. "I don't hear you" is the most dangerous one of all because it means that God can shut off communication with us. This is because we shut off communication with Him. So, then, what happens when we don't have a fear of the Lord and this communication is cut off:
Deuteronomy 28: Famine, Curses, Destruction, Poverty, and you get the idea.
8. What really hit me more than anything is that God can block out our prayers. Lamentations 3:44 says: "You have covered Yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can pass through." Jeremiah calls out to God and asks Him not to hide his ear from his prayer." (Lamentations 3:56)
9. So, then you may be saying in your mind, "What about the new covenant?" After Jesus rose again, God sent us the Holy Spirit. The guys in the old testament didn't have the Holy Spirit. To whom much is given, much is expected.
10. If we have the Holy Spirit living inside us, why don't we start administering the Spirit? We, too often, will quench the Holy Spirit, then we are left to just us and God the Father. Now, when we quench the Spirit, then we often times neglect the fear of the Lord. If the Holy Spirit is our intercessor, then we have again blocked off the communication to God the Father.
11. Acts 9:31 "So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase." Some of us have gotten too comfortable with the Spirit. But this passage says that when we continue in the Fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Spirit, that is where increase happens!
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