Dual Realities

Tags

Believers, Christianity, Joy of the Lord, kingdom of God, life, power

To some this is going to sound weird, but for the believer it should be encouraging, exciting, liberating. The Lord revealed to me this morning that as believers we are to live with dual realities. It is all over scripture this concept of dual realities, but it is not something we are consciously aware of on a moment by moment basis. The bible says, we are in the world, but we are not of the world; greater is He that is in you, then he that is in the world; our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against powers, rulers and those in dark places. The scriptures are seeking to remind us, you live on earth, this is one of your realities, but your citizenship is in heaven, this too is your reality. We live with dual realities.

Where we choose to focus our attention, our thoughts, our everything determines which world we look to for help. I recently went through a very fierce battle in this world. It was as though the hounds of hell were unleashed on me. My emotions were taking me to a dark place, my thoughts were tormenting me, everywhere I looked around me, it seemed hopeless, I was in despair, my heart was sinking fast. Then I remembered the scripture as I cried myself to sleep, weeping endures for the night, but joy comes in the morning. I went to sleep with tears in my eyes and on my pillow to wake up the next morning, literally with a new found strength. I almost couldn’t believe it, because the battle was so fierce the night before, that I thought maybe I just stuffed my emotions, but no the Lord kept reassuring me, joy comes in the morning, His mercy is new every morning, He makes all things new. It was grace, it was truth, it was liberating.

As I was praying that morning, I began to speak about the greatness of God, I began to talk about how good God is, how faithful He is, I began to bless the Lord with all my soul and all that was in me, was blessing His holy name. I then began to say it is not weakness to run to my tower of refuge and strength, I began to shout, it is not retreat to hide in the shelter of the Most High, I began to declare that the cleft of the rock is not for the fearful, but for the faithful. I realized that dependency is a sign of strength and not weakness when we are depending on our Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Then as I was lifting up my eyes to the Lord (Psalm 121), realizing where my help comes from, I got the revelation that we live with dual realities.

Heaven became so real in that moment, I felt the joy the of the Lord, I saw the seraphim flying through the air of heaven, I was barefoot and could feel the streets of gold beneath my feet, I saw waterfalls and rainbows, I could hear birds singing and there was a peace that came over me, a freedom from the pain I was experiencing. I step into another reality. I could see healing, prosperity, the kingdom advancing, power and life, oh the life I felt. I smiled, I laughed, I paused and took a deep breath of the air, and the Lord said to me, this is your reality, it is only a lifting of the eyes away.

My life is forever changed today, for I realized we live with dual realities. It is a reality that I live on earth with sin, people’s personalities, needing to go to work everyday, working out at the gym, shopping, putting gas in the car, raising my son, and all the realities that come with this earth, but I also live with the reality that the kingdom of God is advancing, that healing, prosperity and life is mine as well. I live with dual realities and as long as I lift my eyes up to the hills, I know more than ever before, my help comes from the Lord. When I look at the realities of earth, my heart is overwhelmed with pain, suffering, and sin that I see, hear and experience. This reality does not go away, but as a believer, I have another reality, heaven is real, the kingdom of God is just an eye lifting away and that is as much of a reality to me as the earth on which I live.

What a joy to live with dual realities.

John 18:36 “Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.”

Divorce Should Not Be An Option

Tags

arise, church, divorce, shame

Luke 16:18 “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”

There is an epidemic that is prevalent in the world’s system, but has invaded the church and it is the issue of divorce. In America and rapidly spreading around the world, people are making it easier and easier to get divorced. We claim irreconcilable differences, we declare marital unfaithfulness and we even shout abuse, as some of the many reasons, why we have given ourselves permission to get divorced. Today’s culture has created a movement of divorce, not seeing the after effects that are in its wake. Children are left hurting, lost and confused; husbands and wives are living with incredible pain, anger and disillusionment; and society is eroding because our families are breaking down.

As Christians we are notorious for saying, well that was the Old Testament, so that does not apply to us, we are New Testament people, but this passage about divorce is not noted just once but many times in the New Testament. Jesus was very clear on His stance as it pertained to divorce, yet we are being swept up in a cultural revolution that has made divorce common place.

Culture is a powerful force in people’s lives, it affects the way we think, the way we process information and the way we read our bibles. Living in Malaysia for 9 years, I realized that their attitude about divorce is very different than it is in America. They do not broadcast divorce as something they want others to know about. It is a shameful thing to be divorced in Malaysia and other countries around the world. So, people stay married, because they made a covenant agreement before God and others to do it. No, it is not always romance and fun, it is not always easy, nor is it without pain. However, whoever told you being married was going to be easy.

Many people are choosing not to get married nowadays, because they are children of divorce and they do not want to go through what they saw their parents go through. And this is true in other countries as well. As American media of romance and glee fill the airwaves in other countries, young adults are wanting a love that is very hard to find. So, many are deciding to stay single rather than live unhappy all the days of their lives.

So with the negative effects of  divorce as one of the many reasons why Jesus would command us not to get divorced, there are many other reasons why He was against divorce. One being, how marriage is a picture of Christ and the church. The Lord has made a covenant with us as His church to never leave us or forsake us and marriage is the earthly picture of the biblical understanding of covenant, commitment and perseverance. The Lord will never leave us or forsake us and we are to have the same attitude toward each other.

Divorce was and is to be a shameful thing, not to shame the people who are getting divorced, but to detour others from doing the same thing. When divorce is acceptable, many people do it because they see no consequences from society for their actions. But as the church, divorce is to be a shameful thing, so we make it our last resort, not one of many options. As the church we should have the healthiest, happiest, most loving relationships the world has ever seen. As husbands we are called to lay down our lives for our wives; as wives we are called to submit to our husbands, if we as men and women would be who God has commanded us to be as husbands and wives, we would show the world why Christianity the only way, the only truth and the only life. When we look just like the world, there is really nothing for them to look up to.

If you have been divorced or come from a divorced family, I know this is a painful topic. However, it is not about where you have been, but about where you are going and I want to see marriages going in the direction of biblical standards and mandates. It is time we as the church grow up and obey the word of God. Divorce is not something Jesus would endorse, and I do not think we should either. We throw this word around very flippantly, when we are mad, hurt, or tired. It is time for the church to take back what a biblical marriage is, one that does what it says it will do. Through sickness and health, riches and poverty, good times and bad times. We need a little less talk and lot more action. Come on church, God’s grace empowers us to succeed in this area. Let us arise and shine, so God gets the glory.

Change in the Command Center

Tags

Change, Christians, Grow Up, life, mature, men, Mind, Spouse, Thinking, women

Romans 12:2 “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.”

Everyone has something about themselves that they want to change. And if you don’t have something about yourself you want to change, there is someone in your life that has something about you that they want changed. So, no matter how you cut it, change is needed in everyone’s life. Once the change that is needed is identified, Christians will pray and ask the Lord to help them in this or that area of their lives. They will cry out for the Lord to change what they see as the problem, however, the issue may never get resolved, because the need for change is not in what you can see, but in what you think, in what you believe.

I have been overweight my whole life. Literally, I was born 9 lbs. 15 oz. and kept growing from there. I do not have one picture of me as skinny, or small or even light. So, I am not one of those people who were small in high school and then gained weight after marriage or pregnancy, I have always been overweight. I have tried every diet known to man, but failed at all of them because I would quit, before I could see results. I have prayed about this issue, I have fasted about this issue, but it was not until 5 weeks ago, that the Lord revealed to me the root of this issue. I had a self-sabotaging belief system that caused me to be and stay overweight. I never saw it before, I never knew it was a problem, so I never addressed it. But, now I see it, I have dealt with it, repented of it and am now on the fast track to a new body.

I say all that as an example, for we tend to look at the situation and try to change it, but very rarely do we see the root cause of why that problem has manifested in our lives. Marriages are on the rocks daily, not because the two people do not love each other, but because they have a faulty thought process going on somewhere in their brains and it is effecting the marriage. You see, everyone has beliefs that are known to them or unknown to them and those beliefs manifest in our lives for good or for negative results. Until we renew our minds, we will never see changes in the area we struggle with and pray for and want to change. The problem is no your weight, not your spouse, not your church, not your boss, not your kids, the problem is the way you think.

We have no control over anyone but ourselves and until we realize that the way we are thinking is causing the problems we are experiencing, we will never see a change in the issue we struggle with, because we never change the way we think. The Lord has given us a success plan to follow, but most people want to fix the symptoms rather than deal with the root of the issue which will bring about lasting change. The Lord says, renew your mind, change the way you think, and he shows us how to do it, dive deep daily into His word, listen to sermons and hear the voice of God through the preacher, read books and listen to the voice of the spirit coming through the author. Saturate yourself in the word of God whether written or spoken, but let the word of God transform the way you think.

We all have stinking thinking going on and it is manifesting in our finances, our faith, our family, our friends, and we have the power to change the way we think which we change the results we see. Your spouse is not your problem, it is the way you think about your spouse and what he or she does. If husbands would saturate themselves in the word of God and learn what it means to be a man of God, there is not a wife I know that would not gladly submit to him. And wives if you would saturate yourself in the word of God, taking every opportunity to build your husband up, not tear him down with your words, you would trust him, not interrogate him, if you immersed yourself into the world of God and discovered what it means to be a woman of God, there is not a man I know who would not love to honor you, cherish you, cuddle you. However, it takes a renewed mind.

Many people want to use self-will to change something in their life and some, who are very strong willed can see lasting changes, but there is still a fault line because they did not change the way they think. Our minds are the command center of our whole lives and if we were honest, everything we do or don’t do originates in the way we think, so it is time to make a change in the command center.

What Does It Mean To Be A Man?

Tags

Christ, church, God, maturity, men, passion, spiritual growth, women, work

I Kings 2:1- 3 “When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son. “I am about to go the way of all the earth,” he said. “So be strong, show yourself a man, and observe what the LORD your God requires: Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go.”

Men have so much pressure put on them to provide, protect, pamper and not be proud. The world’s idea of what a man is can be related to the title on his door, the car he drives, the way his wife looks, how his body looks, and the list goes on and on. Just look at GQ magazine and you will begin to see the pressure men are under to be what people define as a man. So, often we talk about how hard it is to be a woman and as a woman, I know it is tough, but men struggle with image issues, work pressure, responsibilities as a husband and father, so their load is no lighter than that of a woman as it pertains to trying to measure up. Many feel like they have to be a half human and half spiderman. Then they read in their bible about what God says a godly husband and man looks like and it can become too much to bear.

I am not a man, so I am only speaking based on observations, but what I have found is that men quit trying to be anything because they can’t be everything they are expected to be. We have men that turn to alcohol because they feel like they will never measure up; others turn to pornography in order to get that feeling of self-worth; while yet others turn to apathy, become emotionless, passionless and powerless. My dad has always said, the devil likes to keep us in the ditch, so if he cannot get you in the ditch of arrogance, he will throw you in the ditch of self-pity, but the last place he wants you is on the road of redemption, confidence and contentment. So, men either throw themselves into work and their family suffers or they decide to do nothing and that is exactly what they get, nothing.

I am so thankful the Lord knew what He was doing when He created men. Genesis 1 says that men were created to work the land, so it is a God-given desire that is put within men to work. Deuteronomy 8:18 says, it is He (Yahweh) that gives you the power to produce wealth; men need to work, it is healthy for them to do and in doing so they will prosper in more than just money. However, this is not all they are to do, they are to love their wives and lay their lives down for her as Christ did for the church (Ephesians 5), this is another aspect of his prosperity. Men that love Jesus, who find their worth in the Lord can both work and cherish their wife. Then we add the children into the mix, they need daddy’s time, energy and passion, they need to know daddy works hard as a provider, and loves mommy as a husband. I know the job sounds daunting, but I believe men would come fully alive if they would seek first the kingdom of God, then they would cherish their wife and produce at work in order to prosper in every way.

Staying out of the ditch is the key to prosperity. Too much work is not healthy, too much food is not healthy, too much entertainment is not healthy and men, too much of the evening news or daily newspaper is not healthy. God wants you to prosper in every area of life, so seek Him until you find Him. He longs to meet your need for significance in Him, so you can go out and be significant, not be working to find it. I know as a woman, our greatest desire is a husband that has his worth come from the Lord, because out of this intimate, personal and passionate relationship with God, you will be able to do all that God requires of you. You will come alive in ways you did not know you could. Just keep your priorities right, God (personal relationship with Him though his word and worship) – Family (wife, kids and others) – Work/Ministry (corporate or church) – Everyone else. This is God’s order of things and when we do it HIs way, we succeed in everything we put our hands to do.

Our world needs men of God who know how to find God in the secret place and order their lives according to his commandments. We will see so many challenges disappear, so many marriages revive, and so many children secure, if only men learn from The Man what does it mean to be a man!

Digging Cisterns or Drilling Wells

Tags

Christianity, Deeper, Dig, Drill, grow, life, mature, More, spiritual growth

 Digging Cisterns or Drilling Wells

Jeremiah 2:13 “For my people have done two evil things: They have forsaken me — the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!”

Isaiah 12:3 “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.”

This week 2 people have come to me and said they are struggling to go deeper with the Lord, they feel as though there is a block, barrier, or some hindrance that is holding them back from the depth of God. And they asked me to pray for them, so while I was praying for them this morning, this is what the Lord showed me. Many Christians are digging their own cisterns, which are broken and cannot hold water. Digging is something we do in our own strength, we break some ground through striving, learning, doing all we know to do as believers, but the depth is not there. Our ability to dig does not go very deep. We break ground for sure, we see a hole that has been created and we have a cistern that holds water, but as many have been said to say, Christians leak. The reason Christians leak, and need to be continually refilled is because they have dug their own broken cisterns. For many Christians around the world today they are living as broken cisterns and do not realize this is why they are not seeing breakthroughs in their lives, experiencing the power and presence of God in their services and are not realizing what they hear their spirit man crying out for. Broken cisterns cannot hold water for long, they are programs that gather people but don’t mature them, they are sermons that inspire but do not bring transformation. All over the world today people are drinking from broken cisterns, because they were dug themselves and Jeremiah says this is an evil to God.

The good news is, there is an alternative to digging your own broken cisterns, there is another way that you can take, but it is not easy, it takes time, and results are not seen instantly. And this is exactly why many people choose to dig cisterns even if they are broken, because it is less painful, faster and can be produced without much effort. But, for those that want more, for those that are ready to go deeper, for those who hear their spirit crying out, THERE MUST BE MORE THAN THIS! For you, the Lord is saying, it is time to drill some wells.

I am not a petroleum engineer, but I am able to do research on Google, and this is what I learned…First, to harvest oil, we must find it. To harvest oil, we must find it even though it is deep underground where we cannot see. Next, the oil must be extracted and transported to a location where it can be used. Engineers need to know about oil reservoirs before they begin the process of drilling wells, which is very costly. (http://www.teachengineering.org/view_lesson.phpurl=collection/cub_/lessons/cub_earth/cub_earth_lesson07.xml)

The reason many people would rather dig than drill is that drilling is costly, it takes time, and it takes energy. Drilling is something that goes very deep past our flesh, through our souls and into our spirits. We can see our flesh, hear our soul, but our spirit is invisible to us, and yet that is where the oil, the wine and the water are located. Drilling is a costly process, we must die to our flesh, silence our soul and open up our spirit to the process of drilling. Hosea 10:12 says, “I said, ‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of my love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the LORD, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you.'”

As I was praying for these 2 people, who now I believe represent so many more that long for more, but do not know how to allow the Lord to drill into them, for most people around them are just digging cisterns which end up breaking. I heard the Lord say, drill wells of salvation, drill deep and you will find the water, the oil and the wine. The water is the Word of God, the oil is the anointing and the wine is the spirit. All three are deep inside of you, all three are accessible, but you must drill. When we allow the Lord to drill into our lives, not withholding, not resisting, but ready to obey, ready to yield, ready to do whatever it takes, we will discover the water, the oil and the wine. It is time to yield to the drill if you want to experience more than just a broken cistern which cannot hold water. No one can do this for you, you have to decide what do you want? Are you content with broken cisterns that do not hold water (the word of God) or are you ready for God to start drilling some wells, which will produce the water, the oil and the wine. Digging cisterns or drilling wells?

 

What Are You Waiting For?

Tags

Change, Christianity, dream, God, grow, just do it, mature, obey, success

“The bottom line in the Christian life is obedience and most people don’t even like the word.” Charles Stanley

 

While in church this morning, the Pastor preached on the need to work on our bodies, he spoke about how neglecting the temple of God is hindering the work of God in our lives. It was a powerful sermon, inspirational, convicting, all around motivating. I was on the edge of my seat ready to change, yet again something in my life, based on what I heard. But others were not ready to change anything, someone even came to the Pastor and said, I am going to the Chinese buffet for lunch today. I just smiled on the outside, but began to ask on the inside, what are you waiting for? When are we as Christians going to obey instantly what we hear. Week after week, in churches all over the world, people are hearing sermons, some more inspiring than others, but sermons nonetheless, with no intention of doing anything different. What are you waiting for? What do people need to hear in order to obey, what they hear?

 

These thoughts and so many others have been swirling in my head all day long. I was at a Women’s Conference this weekend and one of the talks was during the offering and the Pastor said, leadership is not being able to make decision and boss people around, leadership is being the first to do something. He went on to say a leader is the first one to do something, which makes the way for others to do it. I was so moved by this, because I have struggled for years with the lack of leadership I see in so many sectors of society and life. Yet, I could not put my finger on it. But this is it, there are people with titles that declare them a leader, but they are not leading the way into anything, they just like being in charge. They like the control, the respect, the honor of their position, but what are they doing to lead. When was the last time they heard something and changed immediately?

 

So, whether it is church people sitting in the pews or manager, politicians, CEO’s or whomever is called by the name leader, people are not doing anything with what they hear. We listen and listen and listen, with no intention of change, then ask the question, why is nothing changing, why is this happening to me, why, why, why? It is simple, but true, no change will come, unless you, unless I am and willing to do something different. If you go to church with no intention of doing anything different, you will look the same, pray the same, talk the same, walk the same year after year.

 

BUT GOD…God has put something inside of every person, He has put the desire for more, the desire to grow, the desire to change inside of you, inside of me. There is something in our spirit man that hears the truth and knows we must do something different. We may not know how to do it, we may not know where to start, we may even talk ourselves out of it, but we all know that there is something great inside of us. That is God in you! When you come to church and worship is going on, something inside of you says, raise your hands, during the preaching, you feel the desire to shout amen, you know you were made for more than this. God is for you, so who can be against you, we say this all the time, and honestly, the only who can stop us, is us. I am the one that quits, I am the one that says, I can’t, I am the one that does not want to change. The problem lies with me. I am not a victim, I cannot blame anyone else, the truth is, if nothing changes in me, it is my fault. God is for me, so who can be against me? The answer is no one, so stop getting in the way of your own victory, stop waiting for someone else to do what you are called to do, stop defeating yourself.

 

What are you waiting for? Obey God, be successful, enjoy life, worship your heart out, sing a little louder, dance a little longer, dream a bigger dream, do what you were created to do. You only have one life to live and if you don’t live it, no one else can do it for you. What are you waiting for? Today is the day of salvation, now is the time, stop putting it off until tomorrow. Start that diet, fill out that application, ask that girl to marry you, whatever you have been stalling to do, do it now, change is hard, but change is good. What are you waiting for?