Guard the Gates

Tags

Believers, Christianity, church, kingdom of God, Truth

Did you know your life is like a garden and you decide who and what is allowed to come inside? Did you know that you are the sole guardian of the gates of your life, no one can force themselves into your life? Did you know that as a gatekeeper of your own life, you have a responsibility to protect your life from things that would seek to destroy it? Many of us have been conditioned to blame others or the devil for things we have allowed through our gates. But today, is a great day to guard the gates and let the process of garden maintenance begin.

A gate is a movable barrier, usually on hinges, closing an opening in a fence, wall, or other enclosure; an opening permitting passage through an enclosure (Dictionary.com). We have three gates through which access is granted to our life, which scripture calls our garden. We have an eye gate, an ear gate and a mouth gate. The eye gate and the ear gate are entry only gates, the mouth gate is an entry and exit gate. With the mouth gate, food can go in and we need to watch what we eat, but words can come out and that is really what we need to guard. The bible says in Matthew 12:34 and Luke 6:45, for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. But things do not get in our heart through our mouths, for what goes in the mouth enters the stomach and then exits as refuse. So, how do things get into our hearts that come out of our mouth?

The ear gate and the eye gate are the only two entry points into our lives. What we see with our eyes and hear with our ears are what goes into our heart and then eventually comes out of our mouth. The Lord is calling us to guard our ear gate and eye gate, for in doing so we guard our heart and then we can guard our mouth gate. What we allow our eyes to see and our ears to hear either builds beauty in our garden or it brings destruction. The increase of evil we are seeing in the world, is predominantly due to the fact that we have not guarded the gates of our lives or the lives of our children. What comes through the television is destructive to our gardens. What we read in newspapers plants fear in us; music we listen to can “feel our pain” but does not help our situation.

We have not guarded our gates and now we have gardens that are neglected, destroyed or diseased. Many people’s lives are evidence of gates that have been left unguarded. But the truth is, the Lord is calling us to guard the gates again. We may have left them unguarded and our gardens may be in disarray, but today is a new day and His mercies are new every morning. We can heed the call to guard the gate today, by making godly choices about what we allow into our eye gate and ear gate and what comes out of our mouth gate. We are the most powerful agent on earth, but we render ourselves powerless when we don’t heed the call to guard the gates.

3 Little Pigs, A Lesson Learned

Tags

3 Little Pigs, Believers, Christians, church, Psalm 91, Storm is Coming

When I was a child my mom used to read us stories, that at the moment seem fun, but I never would have considered them life lessons. But, now that I am older, the Lord brings back to remembrance many of these stories that were stored in my mind even while a small child. One of those stories is that of The 3 Little Pigs. I am sure many of you can picture the story even as you hear the title. The basic premise of this story is prophetic for the season we are in. Some are building houses of straw, some our building houses of wood, but there are a few who are building a house of stone. Noah built something the others weren’t building and it saved his life and the life of his family. So, there is biblical precedence for building something others may not understand.

Now the truth of the three little pigs is that all three pigs knew there was a wolf and that he sought to destroy their lives, but only one of the three little pigs built a house that the wolf could not penetrate. I Corinthians 13:3 says, “But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value.” Everyone is building something, but the quality of the materials they are using will be revealed in the very near future. A flood came to Noah’s day, the breath of a wolf came to the 3 little pigs and Paul says, a fire is coming in the future.

It doesn’t take many minutes of watching the news to realize we are in a season of God revealing the foundation on which things have been built and with what materials they have used. Just the other day many temples, buildings and historic sites were toppled in Nepal as a major earthquake hit. Just days before that, South America experienced the eruption of an ancient volcano that shot ash 9 miles into the sky. Not many years ago, here in America we watched as two towers that represented the financial prosperity of the world were leveled to rock and rubble. Building materials that looked stable on the outside proved to be not as strong as we may have once thought.

A storm is coming, it is going to shake everything that can be shaken inside of us, so that what cannot be shaken will remain. But it is not here yet, which means there is still time to build your house on the inside, making the Lord your refuge and strength (Psalm 91). The warning signs are so obvious, you have to literally ignore them to say you don’t see them. My prayer is that you would build a house that can’t be moved, which is a Psalm 91 house, but even if there are those who don’t read this, I still want to be a house that those can run to, even if there’s are torn down by the storm. The three little pigs all survived because one pig was prepared for the storm. Will you be the one to hear this word and build a Psalm 91 house?

The Exchange

Tags

Believe, Believers, bible, Blessings, Change, Character, Christianity, church, Cuba, Obedience, President Obama

The Exchange 12.23.14

Mark 8:36-37 says, “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”
Earlier this month the President of the United States exchanged some Cuban prisoners for some American prisoners with the President of Cuba. This exchange came as a result of a reconciliation between Cuba and the United States. Some people that commentate on the President of the United States decisions, said this was a terrible exchange, they even went on to say, we got the short end of the stick. A couple weeks later my mom told me that she went and exchanged her old pair of shoes that were falling apart for a brand new pair of shoes, at a very small cost to her. In America we understand the idea of being able to make an exchange. If you get a Christmas gift you don’t like this week, you can exchange it for something else, with usually very little hassle.

Other countries do not understand exchange in the sense of being able to return something to a store for a similar product or a cash refund. While I was in Malaysia, they would not return anything, once you bought it, it was yours, there is no return, nor exchange policy in that country. As an American who is used to being able to make a mistake and have it corrected by the store, I had to learn to think clearly before I bought anything, for there was no making an exchange, once I handed that money over to the clerk.

As Christians, we have been taught that the greatest exchange the world has ever known is the exchange of Jesus’ life for our sins. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” God gave His life in exchange for our sins, this is the greatest exchange that was made for us and we have been taught this from before we were saved. However, there is another exchange, that is very rarely talked about, but needs to be addressed, it is the worst exchange.

As Christians, who are recipients of the greatest exchange, we make some of the worst exchanges. We exchange the kingdom of God for our religious traditions; we exchange our family members for our ministries or jobs; we exchange our health for food that tastes good; we exchange God’s thoughts for our thoughts; we exchange trust for independence; we exchange the glory of God for the approval of men; we exchange the love of God for immorality. The list could go on and on, but the reality is, we make exchanges that are costing us the very life Jesus gave us.

During this Christmas holiday and New Year, I pray you would begin to think about what you are exchanging for life. People exchange death for life everyday, because they do not want to listen, learn, obey, change. It is not always comfortable nor convenient to live, that is why most people choose chocolate over chick peas; or religion over relationship. Jesus said, “Repent, for the kingdom of God is here!” Repent is a call to change the way you think, it is an invitation to exchange your ways for His ways.
My prayer is that we together, would stop exchanging death for life, so we could embrace the kingdom of God that is here. It takes changing the way you think and that can only happen, by spending time in the word of God and spending time with the God of the word. Merry Christmas my friends!

Actor or Authentic?

Tags

Autheticity, Believers, Change, Christ, Christianity, Christians, church, Empowerment, Exposing, faith, Family

Denzel Washington, Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock are actors/actresses that can convince you they are the character they are portraying, because they have mastered the art of acting. But as soon as they step out of character, who they really are is seen by those who are behind the scenes. Some of these people have track records off set that make them even more respectable, while others have some personal issues that have discounted their character.

Religion is a master at teaching people how to say the right thing, act the right way and make people believe you are doing better than you really are. Some people put on golden globe performances when in church, talking to other Christians, or even when praying, but not even a golden globe performance can fool the God of heaven and earth.

King David was called a man after God’s own heart, not because he mastered the act of religion and right living, but because he allowed the authenticity of his heart to be seen by God and others. Listen to something he said in Psalm 22:2-3, “O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer; and by night, but I have no rest. Yet, You are holy, O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel.” David allowed his true feelings to be spoken, so what he believed about God could rise above his circumstances.

When we shut people down by not letting them share what they are really thinking and feeling, there is no way for them to tap the into the well of salvation that gushes with living water. Religion wants to silence your voice, but God wants to hear your voice. Your pain, your struggle, your trial, your authenticity is someone else’s victory.

If we are going to reap the harvest, we have to be willing to listen to people’s pain, so the promise is real to them not just the right words. This has to start in the chuch and from there it will flow to the nations. Authenticity builds trust and when someone trusts you, they will be authentic around you.

Are you an actor or authentic? Others know, but do you?

Dream House

Tags

Abraham, arise, Believers, bible, Blessings, Christianity, church, dream, dream house

I was riding the stationary bike at the gym today rocking out to my Catherine Mullins music and the Lord said to me, I am looking for those who have built a dream house. As I inquired of the Lord as to what exactly He meant, He said that He cannot pour out His glory on people who do not have a dream house, built to hold the glory (honor, wealth).

For some people this house has been in the attic of their lives, because they never thought they would be able to do it. Others have been bruised by disappointment for so many years that they struggle to talk about their dream house. Some don’t believe or should I say have been taught that their dream is not important, so they are trying to help someone else fulfill their dream, but don’t know how to dream. And still others have been building their dream house for days, weeks, months or even years, knowing ONE DAY this dream will become a reality.

No matter where you are in the process, it is time to build a dream house. Now this dream house has to be about others, not about you. Barbie’s dream house is all about Barbie, excess clothes, shoes, stuff that she just likes to have around so people ooohhh and ahhhh at her. But the dream house God has called you to build is for others through you. I have a friend that her dream house is to create safe houses for abused women; I have another friend who just got a dream house from God about 2 weeks ago to start a rehab center and dormitory for those who want out of their addictions; finally on Tuesday, a friend came over to talk to me and she shared about a brand new dream house God gave her for a teen center.

God is putting dreams in the hearts of people right now. Write down your dream house idea for He is about to pour out glory, but if you don’t have a plan that is bigger than you getting a nicer car or bigger house for yourself, He is not going to give you His glory. Not because He does not want to bless you, He does, but He always blesses those who are going to be a blessing. We are the seed of Abraham, so we have to do what Abraham did.

Genesis 12:2 “”I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing”

Romans 4:3 “What does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

Build God’s dream house and watch Him pour out His glory on that house. And if you want to write it down and send it to me, I will pray for it to become a reality for you and my faith will partner with your faith for this dream house.

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.”