The Swordsmen Are Coming

Tags

Battle, bible, deception, Help, Truth, Weapons of War

The Swordsmen Are Coming

During the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the famous words, “The British are coming, the British are coming!” was heralded among those preparing for the battles they were about to engage in. I hear in the spirit the Lord saying, “The swordsmen are coming, the swordsmen are coming!” I believe this is being heard in the camp of the enemy, but may not be being heard in the church. But I believe the Lord is saying this to both the enemy and the church, “the swordsmen are coming, the swordsmen are coming”.

Judges 7:19-22 “Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars that were in their hands. The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled. When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the Lord caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords.”

Gideon is an Old Testament example of the swordsmen that are coming. They are coming with a sound of salvation for the nation. When the sound of these swordsmen is heard, the enemy will turn on themselves, because it is not the sound of men they are going to hear, it is the sound of God. Another example of these swordsmen is found in the New Testament, where Jesus was in a discussion with His disciples about the kingdom that is coming, on earth as it is in heaven.

Luke 22:35-38 “Then Jesus said, “When I sent you out and told you to travel light, to take only the bare necessities, did you get along all right?” “Certainly,” they said, “we got along just fine.” He said, “This is different. Get ready for trouble. Look to what you’ll need; there are difficult times ahead. Pawn your coat and get a sword. What was written in Scripture, ‘He was lumped in with the criminals,’ gets its final meaning in me. Everything written about me is now coming to a conclusion.” They said, “Look, Master, two swords!” But he said, “Enough of that; no more sword talk!”

The year 5778 is the year of the open door, Chuck Pierce at the Head of the Year Conference said, it is the year of a living 8 and it is the gate of 8. 8 as we all know means new beginning, God is inaugurating something new, but it is old, but it is new. It is new because we may not have seen it before, but it is old, because to God nothing is new. The year of the open door is opening for the Word Warriors to enter in. These are swordsmen who have learning to rightly divide the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15); they know their sword is not a carnal weapon of war (2 Corinthians 10:4-5); rather they have been in swordsmen training for years, for they were willing to sit down, wait on the Lord and in the waiting, they sharpened their double-edged swords (Hebrews 4:12).

The swordsmen are coming, the swordsmen are coming for the only weapon that is going to win this war is the Sword of the Lord (the Word of God). The only weapon against deception is TRUTH, and TRUTH is a person, not a ministry, not a calling, not a title, it is a person and these swordsmen that are coming know Jesus, not in theory, in reality. They hear His voice and another they will not follow (John 10:5); they have not sought their own glory, their own ministry, their own way, they have laid down who they are completely for Yahweh. Their call is not to make a name for themselves, but to display the glory of God on earth as it is in heaven. They know who they are, but more importantly they know whose they are and in that they rejoice: Luke 10:19-20 “See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” 

The swordsmen are coming, the swordsmen are coming! For the Lord has heard the cry of His people and He is sending help from heaven. The swordsmen are coming, the swordsmen are coming!

Word Reformation

Tags

bible, faith, Jesus, kingdom of God, Reformation, Revolution, Romans 10, Salvation, Scripture, Truth

 

http://www.apostolicresourcecenter.org

During worship a couple of weeks ago I had an open vision where the Lord showed me a banqueting table filled with delicacies, dainties and delightful foods from all over the world. It was a true International feast, with many people sitting around the banqueting table. As I observed this scene the Lord said, can you hear them pray consistently? Can you hear them sing so beautifully? I said, yes, it is truly amazing, what I am hearing and seeing. Then the Lord said, but they are very weak, because they refuse to eat the food I have laid out before them. As I looked closer at the banqueting table and the magnificent place settings in front of the people sitting at the table, I did notice that they had not even taken one bite, even though the food was within arm’s reach. They loved to pray, they loved to worship and they loved to fellowship, but they did not want to eat, so they were weak.

 

I knew immediately what the Lord was showing me, if we do not eat, if we do not partake of the Word of God, we will pray, we will worship, and we will fellowship, but we will remain weak, because only the Word of God makes a person strong. People that don’t eat, no matter how much they pray, how much they worship or how much they fellowship, still remain weak, because they refuse to eat the Word of God right in front of them.

 

We are blessed to have a Bible in our hands. Some people have more than one bible, but they still do not eat. They go to 24-hour prayer houses, they join worship teams and go to worship events, they have coffee with friends, but to actually spend time in the Word of God, listening for His voice in His word, very few people do this and that is why the body of Christ is weak. Romans 10:17 says, “faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God.” This is not a salvation message, this is how you get strong. Faith is trust, belief is acknowledgement. It takes believing to be saved (Romans 10:9-10), it takes faith to please God (Hebrews 11:6) and Jesus said when I return will I find faith on earth (Luke 18:8), not believers.

 

Today we have a lot of believers, who said a sinner’s prayer, they pray, they worship, they fellowship and they may even go to church, but most believers do not read their Bible and many do not have faith (trust) in God. How do I know, because the church is weak and God is inviting us to be strong, but it takes a Word reformation. In John 14:6 Jesus says, “I Am the way, I Am the truth, I Am the life,” in John 1:1 it says, “In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God in the beginning.” Jesus is the Word of God! Bill Johnson says, Jesus is perfect theology, so if we know the Word, we know Jesus.

 

Once believers start reading the Word of God, they will meet the man that is the Word. You can’t trust (have faith) in someone you do not know. With the reading of the Word, will come trust, once trust is established based on relationship, a covenant will be made, obedience will be the result, for Jesus said in John 15, “If you love me, you will do what I command.” Once believers start obeying the Word of God, power will be released, for they will not be ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16). Then we will begin to do what Jesus commanded us to do, which is to occupy until He comes (Luke 19:13).

 

What is coming is not another denominational reformation; nor is it some new names on an old system, what is coming is a Word reformation. Believers are going to begin to eat at home, so when they come together they are strong, which will cause leaders to have to steer the rushing river of revelation, rather than pray for one to start. The result of a Word reformation is going to be healing, deliverance, reconciliation, restoration, proclamation and transformation. Everything we are asking for in prayer will be answered when individuals realize authority comes through the word of God and obedience to it. Then we can ask and it will be given to us, seek and we will find, knock and the door will be opened to us (Matthew 6). We won’t need to spend 24 hours in prayer to get an answer, for we will have authority based on relationship that is rooted in trust. I don’t beg my husband over and over for something, because to him that would be nagging, I just ask and trust him for the answer. The same will be true for us as we begin to eat the food on this banqueting table. Everything will change once we answer the call to read the Bible. Let the Word reformation begin!

What are You Hearing?

Tags

Authority, bible, context, integrity, kingdom reality, Prophecy, Truth, voice of God

Is God saying more than one thing at one time? Is He declaring one thing to you and another thing to me about the same nation? Is the Lord the author of confusion? In a social media world, there are many benefits, people who do not have a platform for a variety of reasons, can use social media to get their message out. But social media is extremely dangerous as well, for it is riddled with confusion as many self-proclaimed and self-appointed prophets are saying, “Thus says the Lord.” With many people on a spiritual quest, one of the places they are looking for spiritual insight is online, but the challenge is, the church, Christians are proclaiming many things that are not biblically accurate. This is both dangerous for the hearer and the speaker, for the Bible is not silent on the issue of making declarations that God did not make. 

Ezekiel 13:1-3 says, “Then the word of the LORD came to me saying, “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy from their own inspiration, Listen to the word of the LORD! ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Woe to the foolish prophets who are following their own spirit and have seen nothing.…” (NASB). Jeremiah 23:15-17 says, “For from the prophets of Jerusalem Pollution has gone forth into all the land.'” Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are prophesying to you. They are leading you into futility; They speak a vision of their own imagination, Not from the mouth of the LORD. “They keep saying to those who despise Me, ‘The LORD has said, “You will have peace “‘; And as for everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart, They say, ‘Calamity will not come upon you.’…” (NASB). 

Yahweh speaks with clarity, not confusion. He is not speaking many things at the same time, He has so much authority He only needs to speak one thing at a time. One word from heaven has the authority and power to transform the earth. As prophets in training, the first thing that must be learned is how to discern the voice of God, amidst all the other voices. Many people who prophesy, don’t know the word of God in context, so their prophecies are of their own making. One of the greatest challenges we face in Christianity today is the inability for people to hear the voice of God. Because this is an epidemic in the church, many people are looking to those who say they hear God to tell them what God is saying. The challenge with this is, if God is not saying it, but they are told God said it, then they get disappointed for they thought God said something God never said. 

1 Corinthians 14 says, all should desire to prophesy and in the book of Numbers, Moses said, he wished all of God’s people prophesied. But in order to prophesy, you need to know the word of God, for that is the first step in hearing the voice of God. The second indicator of whether you are hearing God is if what you are hearing is being confirmed by those who are seasoned at hearing the voice of God. For example, the Lord spoke to me and said, 2017 is a year of Victory, I posted this on January 1st on my Facebook page, then today, Chuck Pierce came out with a video today that declared 2017 the year of Victory and Bill Johnson of Bethel Church in Redding, CA said at their Sunday morning service on January 1st, that the word God gave him for 2017 is Breakthrough. So, when men and women that are known for hearing the voice of God are saying the same thing you are hearing, it is a good indicator you are hearing God and not your vain imagination. 

The Bible says to whom much has been given, much is required. If you have not been given much, not much is required of you, but if you want to be given more, than be a good steward of what you have been given. You have been given your Bible, it is the voice of God to you and to the nations, but it must be righty applied. 2017 is a year of Victory, for you to experience victory, you must learn to hear the voice of God. You hear the news, you hear your family and friends, you hear what others are saying on social media, but can you hear the voice of God in His word? What are you hearing? Hearing the voice of God is the key to the abundant life. He loves to talk, that is why you have a Bible, my prayer is that this year, you will hear His voice.

The House of God 3.0

Tags

bible, house of God, new wine, prayer, revelations, Truth

Matthew 21:13/Mark 11:17/Luke 19:46

“And Jesus said to them, It is written, My house shall be called

a house of prayer; but you are making it a robbers den.”

 

In the Old Testament we read of two houses that were built for the Lord, both temples for God. Places of worship, prayer, offerings and fellowship. Both were destroyed and the desire to build a third temple is on the radar of some even at this time in history. But what if the house of God in the New Testament was not a building, but a person? What if the house of prayer Jesus referred to in the gospels was not about some physical location, but rather some person or persons? What if you were created to be a house of prayer, what if I was created to be a house of prayer?

 

Colossians 1:27 says, “God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

 

What if you were the house of God 3.0? The bible says, you are the temple of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 6:19). But what if you were the house of God that Jesus called a house of prayer? What if you were truly a living a sacrifice holy and acceptable to God as spoken about in Romans 12:1? What if what we have been taught about the house of God being somewhere we go is actually someone we are?

 

One of the new things that God is doing is opening up the windows of revelation and pouring out fresh understanding about His word. Mysteries that many of old longed to peer into we are being invited to seek and find. As the new leaders who are not just anointed but carry authority, begin to appear, many new ways of seeing the scripture will come forth. The truth they are going to bring has always been there, but it was veiled to us in past seasons, but is being revealed to us in this season.

 

Some will reject the fresh revelations that God is presenting, because religion, even charismatic, tongue talking religion does not like to look like they don’t know something. But with great humility, which is godly confidence, and precise wording, which is rightly dividing the word of truth, they will display anointing plus authority with messages and miracles that the world and the church are hungry for. One of those revelations is that you are the house of God, you are a house of prayer, which means you need to ask yourself, have you made God’s house, which is you, a den of robbers? You are the house of God 3.0.

Speak Less, Say More

Tags

bible, Kingdom, love, power, Truth, Voice, Word of God

One of the greatest challenges people on earth face is the reality that there are a lot of people talking, but very few people actually saying anything. Pop singers have #1 hit songs with lyrics like, Watch Me, Shake It Off or Baby Baby, just to name a few and we spend millions of dollars on their albums, to tell us what, nothing. I was a teenager once before and we had some songs like this as well, where they were just to dance to, not to have some deep meaning in them, but it is not just in pop music. Worship songs are no better, we have gone from deeply theological hymns like Lift High the Cross, How Great Thou Art and To God Be The Glory to one chorus songs repeated over and over again, of which I love by the way. The challenge is we are not saying anything of substance or significance and we wonder why the wind blows or the snow falls and people are screaming it’s the judgment of God, the world is ending, or Jesus is coming back, tomorrow.

One of the greatest gifts the Bible gives us, is that it is filled with substance. It is riddled with the history of how a personal God walked and worked with people. How He took a no name group of people and made them into the most powerful nation on the earth. It is about how to live in community, how to be a family, how to work, play, teach and train. It is full of wisdom, romance, grace, consequences, choices and colorful characters. The Bible is rich in history, deep in understanding, full of mystery and glorious in expression. It tells of men, women and children, it includes the young and old, it is a book for the slave and the free, the lost and the found. People like Henry Ford found wisdom in it to invent the automobile and George Washington quoted it when he was establishing a brand new nation.

People have tried to burn the bible, kill the ones who printed the bible, destroy the followers of the bible, and to this day mock the ones who believe the bible, but it is not moved. It is an ancient text that is unshakable, unbreakable and unstoppable in its ability to inflict change. It is full of substance, secrets, mysteries, over and covert ways of doing life and it is a love letter, a manual, a blueprint for success. No wonder people wanted to take prayer out of school, change the definition of marriage, and ban Christian t-shirts, because the word of God is powerful, no matter what format it is presented in.

Matthew 24:35 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” – Jesus

In a system that is seeking to dumb you down, so they can feel like they have control over you. There is one book that will lift you up, correct you up and build you up from the inside out and that is the word of God. If you want to be inside strong, you must know the word of God, not memorize it, so you can quote it or slap somebody with the truth you know, but so you can learn to be a lover of God and a lover of people. The word of God transforms you from the inside out. The world is going to shake, challenges will arise, but if you are established in the word of God, you will be immovable, unshakable and undeniably able to speak less, but say more. And we need some people who have something to say, not just people who talk about a whole lot of nothing. So think deep, pray wide, sing loud, worship hard and watch God dig a well in your life that produces the oil of joy, the rivers of the life and the power of an indestructible life.

Pain or Passion

Tags

bible, Pain, passion, power

Have you ever heard someone speak and you could feel their passion, but you knew they were angry, resentful, hurt, or grinding an axe? Have you ever said something out of frustration, believing it to be passion? Have you ever listened to a song and their talent was evident but their pain was as well? Or do you have no idea what I am talking about? The bible is riddled with sayings that help us to realize there is a fine line between two opposite sources from which information flows. Knowing the source of our statements, will help us to become more effective in our communication.

It doesn’t take long on Social Media, in church or on the job to see someone’s passion, but the more you listen, the more you hear their frustration or pain. Words reveal our hearts and most people don’t listen to themselves, so they cannot discern their own spirits, let alone someone else’s spirit. However, if we are to mature; if we are to be healed; if we are to become more Christlike; we have to be able to discern ourselves and others. For words carry a spirit and if you accept their words, you also get the spirit from which those words came from. So, we need to be very careful who we listen to, for they may sound passionate, but it could be coming from their unhealed pain.

Proverbs 16:32 says “Do you want to be known as a mighty warrior? It is better to be known as one who is patient and slow to anger. Do you want to conquer a city? Rule over your temper, before you attempt to rule a city.” I used to love the warfare stuff, but once I went through the wilderness and allowed the Lord to heal my pain, I realized that just like Proverbs 16 says, warfare can be fuel for pain, more than it is truly passion. Solomon ties being a mighty warrior to being impatient and angry, but most people cannot discern this, because we have been taught to value being a mighty warrior. Solomon goes on to say, our desire to conquer cities, is tied to our inability to conquer our own emotions, which again, he ties to anger. Anger is a protector of pain, so what looks like passion (mighty warrior or conquering a city) can actually be sourced in pain and we don’t realize it.

Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than a two edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Without the revelation that comes through the word of God, we cannot discern the source of what we are saying, or what others are saying. In the next move of God, Damon Thompson says, “The Lord is opening up a gate of compassion, for the closer we get to the Lord, the more we will love people and be moved with compassion toward people.” If the source of our communication is not love, it is coming from pain and not passion. Jesus did everything from love and if we have not love, we are nothing. I Corinthians 13:2-3 says, “If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.”

The way you can discern if what you or someone else is saying is coming from pain or passion, is to put it through the I Corinthians 13:4-8 love test, for if it’s not from love, it’s not passion, its pain masquerading as passion.

Crossing Over

Tags

bible, church, Crossing Over, Joshua, Moses, Prophecy, Spiritual warfare

 

Proverbs 4:7 says, “Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.”

We live in a world where there is a lot going on. The news can barely keep up with everything that is happening, the church is struggling to speak into what they see and hear, and people are in a whirlwind of information. The good news is, God is not moved, He is not shaken, He is not nervous about everything the earth is experiencing. He is stable, He is secure, He is simple and He is aware of what is going on. So, if you want to know what is happening, take your seat in heavenly places (Ephesians 2), read your Bible, listen to the Lord speak, don’t tell your Bible what to say, let your Bible tell you what it says. You will hear His voice if you read until He speaks, and if you do this consistently, He will make you fully aware of what is going on. He is speaking constantly, and John 10 says, His sheep hear His voice.

What I see is we are in a time of transition, we are crossing over, for some the east wind is blowing and Moses type leaders are arising on the scene to lead people out of Egypt (debt, slavery and carnality). Israel and Christians who are living in Egypt are going to have their eyes open to the Moses type leaders in their midst. These leaders will lead those who are in Egypt out by a mighty move of God. You will see a dramatic deliverance take place for those Israelites and Christians that have been living in Egypt, under the rule of the taskmaster. Moses type leaders will lead the people out of Egypt, through the Red Sea and into the wilderness where they will experience supernatural provision. (I do not believe these people will be in the wilderness for 40 years, but they have to get Egypt out of them, so they can eventually live in the Promised Land). This deliverance will be done by the hand of God alone. Temples will be turned into tents as the church goes on the move. We will see our enemies no more. To learn more about this read Exodus 14 and beyond.

While the majority of the Israelites and Christians are going through this exodus across the Red Sea, there is a remnant of people who have already been through the wilderness with Moses. But Moses has died (Joshua 1) and these people have a new leader, his name is Yeshua (Jesus). These people have made it through the wilderness, have learned that Love Wins, see Jesus, and so do not need a Moses type leader to lead them. For you that have wondered why some people are leaving the church, it is not because they are anti-God, anti-authority, or anti-Church, but for them, they left Egypt, followed Moses into the desert, Moses died and they now see Jesus and He is the one they follow. This remnant of people are following Jesus and are crossing over the Jordan River into the Promised Land, a land flowing with milk and honey. They have not forgot what Moses type leaders have taught them, but they have a new leader. (See Isaiah 6 for another example of this). They are not lone rangers, they are a remnant and they meet, they talk and they are aligning themselves with the Spirit of God.

These mighty ones of valor are passing on before you, armed with the love of God (I John 4:4) and are going to possess the land (Matthew 6:10). Then they will return to the sunrise side of the Jordan where all the rest of the Israelites and the Church is, and bring them into the Promised Land. Once all of Egypt is out of the Israelites and the Church, they will have rest and the remnant will return so we can all live in the Promised Land together. (Joshua 1)

We are living in Bible days, if you have never read your Bible, or have not read it in a while, I suggest you read it, Old Testament, New Testament, it does not matter, Our Father is in it all, He is good, and He is in control of everything that is going on. No man is in charge of what we see, only God is, we must understand this is a time for modern warfare, our weapons are not carnal, (2 Cor. 10:5-7), we are called to stand and see the salvation of the Lord (Exodus 14:11-14 and Ephesians 6:10-18). We were born for such a time as this!

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!

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.

Comfortable with Contradictions

Tags

bible, Christianity, contradictions, Growth, Spiritual Maturity

Two weeks ago, I was invited to vote for some friends who are in a band competition and while I was watching the videos of the other bands in the competition, just out of curiosity of the talent, or lack thereof, that they were up against, I came across something that has been disturbing me for 2 weeks now. I have tried to shake what I saw and thought, but as I was reading my bible this morning, the same issue arose, and I just can’t seem to shake it, so decided to speak about it.

While watching those music videos, I came across a band that was singing about trusting in God for whatever comes their way, not living in fear or anxiety about the future. The message of the song, was really powerful, but I was distracted by the chickens running around the video and the band members that were trying to catch these chickens. I know I am of a completely different generation, so take this with a grain of salt, but what I see is that people have become comfortable with contradictions. We are saying, or in this case, singing about one thing, yet our actions, the videos people are seeing are not lining up with what we are saying. The message we are speaking is different than the life we are living and we are comfortable with this.

John 18:28-31 says, 28 Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning. But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover. 29 Pilate then went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?” 30 They answered and said to him, “If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you.” 31 Then Pilate said to them, “You take Him and judge Him according to your law.” Therefore the Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.”

The Jews would not kill Jesus because it was not lawful for them to put anyone to death, but they were okay with someone else killing him, as long as they would not break the Mosaic law. Comfortable with contradictions.

This is very disturbing to me on many levels, because when we get comfortable with contradictions, 1)we are confusing those who are listening; 2)we are more powerless than we realize; and 3)we are deceived and we do not even realize it. The bible never affirmed the idea of being comfortable with contradictions, it actually warned against it. James 3:10-12 “10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? 12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.”

I realize generations come and generations go, I know culture changes, and that we live in a day and age where these things are accepted as normal, but the Bible does not change, Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever, and despite what the spirit of the world is saying, the spirit of God is saying that He is not comfortable with contradictions and neither should we be. If we do not speak, sing, shout, show the same thing in our lives, we are living with a contradiction. The problem is not that we have contradictions we have become comfortable with, the problem is that we don’t care. We like saying one thing on facebook and another in church; we like dating unbelievers and are looking for others to say it is okay, we want others to affirm our contradictions and if they don’t we declare they are judging us. I may be from the old school, but one thing I know, is that God is not comfortable with contradictions and neither should we be.

I heard someone say the other day, that he is not concerned with the sins that people struggle with in the church, what concerns him is the lack of alarms that are being sounded in the church about these sins. I guess you could say, I am sounding an alarm, it is time to wake up to the reality that we all live with contradictions, but if you have become comfortable with them and have become comfortable with other people’s contradictions who claim the same name you claim (Christian, disciple of Christ), then we have a problem. It is time to stand up to this spirit that has told us to be comfortable with contradictions.