Motion Picture

Tags

healing, kingdom of God, miracles, motion picture, Prophecy, signs, wonders

What do you see, was the questioned asked of me and all the others on the prayer call this morning? Answers were coming in saying, I see healing, deliverance, restoration, prosperity, salvation. As I was listening to them say what they saw, I looked at a picture hanging on my fridge that I received as a Christmas card photo and the Lord said to me, “Motion Picture”. He went on to say, “The people in this picture have moved on from the day this picture was taken, but if they were a picture in motion, you could see what they look like right now.” Immediately, I knew to say, what I see is, “Motion Picture”. Needless, to say, you could hear a collective, “what” on the other side of the line, but I said again, I see a “Motion Picture”. We are no longer going to be looking back at past moves of God, we are going to be the motion picture of a current active move of God.

It is now hours later after that prayer call and the words motion picture will not stop swirling around in my mind. I decided to look up motion picture and what I found confirmed to me, we are about to be apart of the motion picture called the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven. Here are some of the things I learned from Encyclopedia Britannica about motion picture.

1. Motion picture is a projected in rapid succession on a screen by means of light. I see God moving in such rapid succession in the days ahead, that it will literally be like watching a movie. Healings, signs, wonders, miracles, victories, joy, awe and wonder is going to be happening to frequently that it is going to feel accelerated, we are about to see the kingdom of God in rapid succession (Amos 9:11-15).
2. The art of motion picture is exceedingly complex, requiring contributions from nearly all other arts as we well as countless technical skills. I see everyone being involved in the advancing kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. This is going to be a whole-body (Ephesians 4:16) production. We all are going to have a part and the reason for which we were made will be made evident to all.
3. The motion picture was quickly recognized as a truly mass form of entertainment. I see God going public with the kingdom. I believe people in mass are going to be amazed at what God is doing (Mark 1:22) as wave after wave of victory begins to happen in people’s lives, as healing breaks out like no virus we have seen, as joy spills out into the streets of major cities.
4. The illusion of movement holds the attention and may even lower critical resistance. I see this movement called the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven moving at such a pace that people do not have time to be critical. I see God releasing so much goodness and kindness (Romans 2:4), that repentance will be inevitable and criticism will be crushed under the many victories. I see testimonies being the talk of the town.
5. The film image always appears to be in the present tense and appears to show actual people and things. I see God moving in now time. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is…” I see us living synchronized with what God is doing now, so that when we make a declaration, we see a manifestation, for it will not just be people saying whatever they want, but rather like Jesus, they will only say what they hear the Father say (John 12:49).
6. People are comfortably seated in a dark auditorium; the darkness concentrates their attention and they live in the world the motion picture unfolds before them. I see people who are sitting in darkness seeing the kingdom of God in motion picture and they, without hesitation, leave the darkness and come to be a part of the motion picture of light (Isaiah 60:2).
7. The primary unit of expression in film is the image. I see men and women, young and old, every nation, created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27) displaying the glory of God on earth as it is in heaven. I see image bearers, reflecting the Lord on the earth. I see people who know their God and who do great exploits (Daniel 11:32) creating a movement that grows and keeps on growing until Jesus returns. I see people joining in to the motion picture of God’s kingdom on earth.

The more I write, the more joy that wells up inside of me. It has been said, that when the baby is born, you forget the pain you endured during the delivery. We have been through some hard stuff, but we are about to see God give birth to a move like we have never seen before, it is not going to be a picture on your fridge where you and I say, remember when, it is going to be a present day reality, every day, for we are about to help God produce a motion picture!

As In The Days of Nehemiah

Tags

Democrat, healing, Independent, Jared Kushner, John McCain, Politics, President Trump, Prophecy, Republican, Steve Scalise

While in prayer this morning, I was thanking the Lord for our nation, for our President, and praying for Senators John McCain and Steve Scalise, asking the Lord for accelerated healing for both men. While praying in this context, the Lord spoke to me and said, “President Trump is like Nehemiah”. I was stunned by what I heard and even told the Lord, many have called him a Cyrus type figure based on Isaiah 45, but I have not heard that he is like a Nehemiah. The easy connection would be the “build that wall!” chant, which took off during the campaign, but that is not what God was referencing. I was sensing based on the opposition he is facing, that he is like a Nehemiah. Last night when the evening news reported Jared Kushner agreed to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee and Donald Jr. has yet to say if he will or not, my thought was, this family didn’t go into politics for fame, fortune or this kind of trouble, so why are they doing this? Then this morning the Lord said to me, because President Trump is like a Nehemiah.

In order for me to understand more clearly what the Lord is highlighting to me here, I had to go and read the book of Nehemiah and what I learned is that yes, truly we are living right now, as in the days of Nehemiah. With the glasses of President Trump as a Nehemiah type figure, I read the book and here are just a few of the verses that confirmed biblically for me what I heard God speaking to me in prayer. I encourage you to read the book as well and see if you see the same thing, or something different that can bring more clarity to what I believe God is seeking to show us in this season of history.

1. Nehemiah got word that the remnant were in distress and reproach, the walls were broken down and the gates were burned. (The next step would have been the city being destroyed, if someone did not repair the protective boundaries)
2. Nehemiah confessed that this was due to the sin of the people of the land, it was our own doing. (Chapter 1)
3. Nehemiah requested he be sent to the city to observe the situation and help rebuild the walls.
4. Sanballat (one meaning of his name is the moon god gives life) and Tobiah (possessed gold, Ammonite, verbally attacked Nehemiah, actively tried to stop the rebuilding of the walls) heard about Nehemiah and were very displeased because someone came to seek the welfare of the people.
5. Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem (name means rain of destruction) mocked Nehemiah
6. Nehemiah answered them saying, the God of heaven will give us success; we will arise and build! (Chapter 2)
7. Eliashib, the high priest arose with other priests and built the sheep gate; they consecrated it and hung its doors.
8. Priests, people and royal officials all helped rebuild the wall. It was a project so big that everyone got involved. (Chapter 3)
9. When Sanballat heard they were rebuilding the wall, he became furious, very angry and mocked them.
10. Sanballat spoke in the presence of his brothers (the moon god worshippers) and the wealthy men of Samaria.
11. Nehemiah said, we built the wall, for the people had the mind to work.
12. Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem (the Arab) and all their people conspired together to come and fight against the rebuilding of the wall and to cause a disturbance in it.
13. But Nehemiah and the team prayed to our God and we set up guard day and night. (Nehemiah 4)
14. The people cried out saying, we’re dying here because of the financial burdens being placed on us.
15. Nehemiah went to the governing officials and said, give the people back all that belongs to them.
16. The governing officials said, we will give it back and will require nothing from them.
17. “I also shook out the front of my garment and said, “Thus may God shake out every man from his house and from his possessions who does not fulfill this promise; even thus may he be shaken out and emptied.” And all the assembly said, “Amen!” And they praised the Lord. Then the people did according to this promise” (Nehemiah 5:13).
18. “For twelve years, neither I nor my kinsmen have eaten the governor’s food allowance.¹⁵ But the former governors who were before me laid burdens on the people and took from them bread and wine besides forty shekels of silver; even their servants domineered the people. But I did not do so because of the fear of God” (Nehemiah 5:14-15).

I could go on in the book of Nehemiah and show you how what God said to me this morning is very accurate, but you will have to see it for yourself. I am not making a political statement for or against any party, I am not even interested in being involved in politics, but when God showed me this today, I felt compelled to share it with you for your consideration. I believe we as believers need to lay down our red, blue or other political glasses and see what the kingdom is doing, hear what the King of kings is saying, and align ourselves with him. For me it is important to know the season we are living in historically, so I can be aligned with what God is doing right now. Based on what I heard in prayer and what I see here in the book of Nehemiah, I concur with God, as in the days of Nehemiah, so it is for us in America.

Calling To Cities

Tags

America, Angels, Atlanta, Cities, Detroit, healing, Kentucky, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Redding, Seattle, Spokane

Calling to Cities 2.28.17

http://www.apostolicresourcecenter.org

 

While in prayer today for our nation, the Lord began to give me the eyes to see what He is saying about some of our cities and states. As I saw what He was saying, I began to write as fast as I could what I heard Him saying and the images that He was releasing to me about these cities. Here is what I heard and saw today…

 

Spokane, WA: Hot Tub of Healing, it will be the healthiest city in the US again. He is going to flow from Spokane to Seattle and they will be sister cities of healing.

 

Los Angeles, CA: Storehouse of heavenly messengers. God houses the heavenly messengers for America in LA and when they are called upon to fulfill and assignment they are sent from here.

 

Redding, CA: Financial Mountain. This city will be a financial epi-center inside the mountain which is Redding. Just like we cannot see the activity that is present inside a volcano, this city is going to explode financially.

 

Kentucky: This state is going to win the Triple Crown over sickness, poverty and divorce. The three crowns they will get are health, wealth and covenant.

 

Detroit, MI: The motor city will power the nation. There is going to be so much power coming out of this city, the whole nation will look here as the power source of our nation.

 

New York: Niagara Falls is like the voice of many rushing waters. There is going to be many voices that come out of this state, loud voices that proclaim truth.

 

Kansas City, MO: Heart of America, out of the abundance of the heart the mouth will speak. Oracles, mouthpieces, and a new wave of prophetic voices will arise from here.

 

Colorado Springs, CO: Ministry mecca. There will be word ministries that carry revelation coming out of this city. Revelation light will shine again in this city.

 

Las Vegas, NV: Currently known as sin city. Where people once came for pleasure, the Lord is making it a place where people come to be in plumbline. It’s going to be a plumbline city for the nation.

 

Chicago, IL: This is a city of entrepreneurs, leaders, influencers and builders. It will become the government hub of the United States. The kingdom of God will reign in this city.

 

Minneapolis, MN: This is a city of musical geniuses. Worship music will arise from here on the level of Beethoven and Mozart. Listen for new sounds to arise out of this city.

Des Moines, IA: This city will be giving a state of the harvest address to the nation. They will produce new forms of energy, far beyond ethanol. There’s going to be an agricultural revolution that comes out of Iowa.

 

New Orleans, LA: There is a river of revelation coming out of this city, that is going to bring healing to the nations.

South Carolina: This state is going to be an exporter of sons. They will begin to build schools of sonship to train, equip and deploy sons of the kingdom.

 

Dallas, TX: America’s 5-fold ministry team will come out of this city. This team will be the 5 – fold ministry team for the nation.

 

Houston, TX: You have been known for physical oil, but now you will be known for the oil of joy that breaks the spirit of heaviness. There is an oil coming on this city that will loose that city from the spirit of heaviness.

 

Atlanta, GA: You are an International Apostolic Center that will be like a harbor boss for the South.

 

Phoenix, AZ: Is a watchman city. You will sound the alarm, blow the trumpet, alert the nation to any enemy that may try to invade.

 

Salt Lake City, UT: You are currently a dead sea city, but just like in Ezekiel 37, this city will live again and be an exporter of salt believers to the nations. You are a sending city of salt shakers to the nations.

 

Isaiah 61:6-7 says, “You will be known as the ones specially chosen by the Eternal as priests;

people will speak of you as ministers of our God.

And the wealth of nations will come to you for your delight and enrichment.

7 Many called you disgraced and defiled and said that shame should be your share of things.

Yet you suffered doubly and lived in disgrace;

So double will be your share, and with joy everlasting.

What Are You Prepared For?

Tags

glory, Harvest, healing, Manifestation, Preperation, Workers

Can you feel it in the atmosphere? Can you sense it in your spirit? Can you recognize it in what people are saying? 2016 is sounding like a year like we have never seen before. I have never sensed the leaders in the body of Christ have so much excitement about what God is about to do. Kenneth Copeland is calling 2016 “The Great Year!”; Reinhard Bonkke is calling 2016 “The Year of No Restrictions”; The Hebrew Calendar calls 2016 “The Year of Ayin Av (Look Again at the Tent Peg)”. Everywhere you turn, every prophetic voice you listen to is proclaiming good news about this year, Max Lucado just released his newest book called Glory Days. Cindy Jacobs has yet to release her word, but from what she has hinted at, it is going to be alignment with all the other words spoken so far.

So, with a year so pregnant with promise, what are you prepared for? The promise for this year will not just blanket everyone with prosperity, healing, restoration, or whatever promise has been made on a general level. The promises of God are an invitation to everyone, but they are not RSVP’d by everyone. Promises, prophecies, proclamations are invitations for preparation. In Matthew 25 there were 10 virgins, all 10 were virgins, but only 5 were prepared when the Bridegroom came to the door to begin the party. What are you prepared for? Prosperity is not coming to everyone, healing will not flow through everyone, preaching a reformers message will not be heard through everyone. Why? Because to be a leader in what is coming, you have to be prepared. Heaven is a prepared place for prepared people and when heaven comes to earth, the way people are sensing it is coming, it is coming to a prepared people.

Now this does not mean you will not receive a healing, a financial breakthrough, or some other manifestation of glory, but will you sit back and let it come to you, or will you be prepared so you can be one who is sent to heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out the demons? Mark 16 and Matthew 28 says all believers are to experience this as normal Christianity, and many are not, because they are not prepared to carry the authority it takes to do exploits. We don’t let people drive who have not prepared in driver’s education or have taken a driver’s test; we don’t go to doctors who do not have a degree that showed they prepared themselves to do surgery; we don’t put our money in banks that are not prepared to protect our money. So, how much more is God not going give His authority to do exploits to those who are not prepared?

Love is not permissive in the sense that we let everybody do whatever they want, love protects, love empowers, love matures, love develops, love trains, love prepares us to do exploits. Our Father is about to release a measure of His glory on the earth, it is going to blow our minds, but it is not going to be given to everyone, Isaiah 11 says there is a remnant that has been prepared for this hour. Many will be surprised at who has been preparing and who hasn’t. For what we do in secret will be rewarded openly, and some have been preparing in secret, not fully understanding what was coming, but now that it is here to some measure and about to be very near in a major measure, the clarity of preparation is evident.

As the Parable of the Workers (Matthew 20) says, it doesn’t matter when you start working, we are all going to be paid the same, but I sense this is the last hour to prepare for what is about to be poured out and many are ready with oil in their lamps and extra in their vale, but for you that did not prepare, it’s not too late to start. The workers are few and the harvest is plentiful, so this blog is my prayer for the Lord of the harvest to send out more workers into His harvest field. We need your help, we can’t do this alone, this job is beyond a remnant, it is for a body, I plead with you get prepared for the kingdom of God is about to invade the earth and we need your help.

From Dissapointment Fatigue to Decree

Tags

Body of Christ, Disappoinment, Fatigue, healing, Pastors

In the body of Christ there are many members, but we are one body. If one segment of the body is struggling, the whole body struggles and the Lord has revealed to me that many ministers are struggling with disappointment fatigue. One of the things God is concerned with is the whole body, not just certain groups or ministries. He is God of the whole body, not just one part of it. So, He is looking at us as a whole and wanting us to advance together. The prayer of Jesus is that we would be one as He and His Father are one (John 14). So, even though I have worked through this issue in my own life, I am now seeing it in the lives of ministers all around the church. I am finding that those who have been in the ministry for some time struggle with this the most.

Disappointment is defined as the feeling of sadness or displeasure caused by the nonfulfillment of one’s hopes or expectations; Fatigue is defined as extreme tiredness, typically resulting from mental or physical exertion or illness. When I say disappointment fatigue I am saying, members of the body of Christ who are tired of not having their hopes or expectations fulfilled. People that choose to become members of the body of Christ do so with the hope of life getting better, dreams coming true, and obtaining a sense of fulfillment. Pastors feel the pressure of the people to create this type of environment or preach a sermon that helps with this, but many of them are struggling with more disappointment fatigue than the members are. So, we have leaders and members struggling with the same problem.

But Jesus, who forever lives to make intercession for us, has a solution to this problem. His word is riddled with ways to alleviate disappointment fatigue and just like dieting if you stick to the program it will yield results, but if you want a quick fix with not change on your part, you will not see any change. The first prescription Jehovah Rapha would give for disappointment fatigue is remember the Sabbath and keep it holy (Exodus 20:8). Rest is a spiritual discipline that very few people do, because they have not seen the fruit of this labor. But the reason Israel went into Babylonian captivity for 70 years was for not keeping the Sabbath, so rest is a really big deal to God. One day a week, you are to do no work, but are to rest.

The second prescription Jesus would give to those struggling with disappointment fatigue is to praise. Isaiah 61:3 says, “To console those who mourn in Zion, give them the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.” Praise is a choice, when we chose to praise the Lord, we open our mouth and speak the truth of who He is. Praise alters emotions, for emotions are just energy in motion. Praise changes our attitude; opens up the heavens so we can ascend the hill of the Lord; it parts the Red Sea; it breaks the yoke of disappointment fatigue. Many ministers don’t praise, but rather they are preparing to speak while in worship. Preparation is to be done prior to worship not in it. Come to worship to praise, lift your voice to say nice things about someone else and watch your life change for the better.

Finally, Jesus would invite us to move from disappointment fatigue to decree. Many believers and ministers alike do not exercise their authority in the spirit. Jesus said in Mark 11:24, “I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them and you will have them.” Our words are more powerful than we realize. We actually create our world with our words, whatever we speak, that is what we have. It is time for the CHURCH to begin to decree the truth of the word of God, not just as a principle, but as a promise. The word of faith movement with Kenneth Copeland taught us to speak words of faith in order to receive what we ask for. It’s time to reopen this well of truth. Psalm 81:10 says, “Open your mouth with a mighty decree, I will fulfill it now, you will see! The words that you speak, so shall it be!”

We must move from disappointment fatigue to decree, if we want to see the glory of the Lord in the land of the living. Make the shift and you will see, the One who has set you free

Confess Not Suppress

Tags

Confession, Feelings, Frustration, healing

Psalm 32:3 “When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long.”

Proverbs 17:22 “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.”

Did you know that when you suppress your unhealed emotions, your frustrations, your anger, your sin that it doesn’t go away, rather it eats away at you on the inside? Have you ever had someone say something or do something to you and you just exploded on them? Then when you calm down you ask yourself, where did that come from? Have you ever been in a conversation with someone and then you step on a proverbial land mine and they just blow up at you, for what seems like an unsolicited reason? I think we all have done this and had this done to us, but very few people realize why this happens. We don’t realize that our souls have a maximum capacity level of which they cannot take anymore suppression, so it explodes or seeps out sideways.

Men, typically do not like to talk about their “feelings”, they would rather act like they have none. Now this is not a criticism, but rather a conditioning that has taken place. Our world does not see men who share their feelings as strong, but rather as weak, so they are conditioned to not talk about them. Unfortunately, this conditioning has led to a lot of destructive behaviors and the number one medical issue for men is a heart attack. When we suppress our feelings, for God created us with feelings and the scriptures are riddled with a God who feels, King David says, our bodies waste away. Our souls were not created for the suppression of feelings, but for the confession of feelings.

Now this is not a license to say whatever comes to your mind, or express every feeling you have anywhere and everywhere. We have to temper this with the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22). Many people are living at maximum capacity of suppressed frustrations, anger, disappointment, resentment, offense, grief, and many other pains. The Bible says in I John 1:9, if you confess your sins to one another you may be healed. Our healing is founded not in suppression and acting like everything is okay and calling that spiritual. It is in confessing to one another, what is going on inside of us. If you don’t get it out of you, it is going to dry up your bones or waste away your spirit.

Confession can be done through writing, singing, talking, shouting (in the woods where no one can hear you), crying, painting, just to name a few. People are struggling with something that is easily healed if only they will let it out. You do not have to tell everyone, nor should you, but you need to tell someone. You will surprise yourself at how free you feel, not when you unload for hours on someone, but when you are honest with yourself about what is going on inside. Passion is an inside job; worship in truth is an inside job; joy is an inside job; peace is an inside job. If our insides are filled with suppressed not confessed garbage, there is no wonder, we have limited passion, an inability to hear the truth that will set us free, and are not enjoying the abundant life we have been promised. It’s time to confess not suppress, so we can live again. This may be the very revival you are crying out for.

Do You Want To Be Made Well?

Tags

Disorder, Gratitude, healing, Joy, Wholeness

If you were to go up to someone that is sick and ask them if they want to be made well, in our society, some would get offended by the question, others would get sarcastic and some would oblige. It seems like a question that has an obvious answer, but is it possible the answer seems obvious, because we are not sure what the question means? In John 5 Jesus encounters a man sitting outside the gate of the temple called Bethesda. This man, has a deep seated and lingering disorder, of which he has suffered for 38 years. This is the context in which Jesus asks the question, do you want to get well.

Jesus noticed two things about this man, one, the man was helpless and two, the man had been in that condition for a long time. These are the things Jesus is thinking about when he asks the man, do you want to get well. What is not stated, but is implied, by the man’s response to Jesus’ question, is that he felt like he had seniority, he was entitled to be healed, because he had been in that condition for so long and had been at that gate for more time than others. Have you ever met people that feel like time in a certain condition, entitles them to be picked first? Some people have been in the wilderness for a long time, they have dealt with one disappointment after another. If we are not careful, we will think we deserve something, because of how long we have been in this condition.

Jesus asked the question, do you want to get well, He did not say, do you want to be healed. Healing is different that wholeness. Many people get healed, but they are not made whole or well. Jesus knew He could heal the man, but He wanted the man to know He could also make him well. I believe the Lord’s desire is to make us well, which includes healing, but requires partnership between us and God to take place. Remember the story of the 10 Lepers in Luke 17, how all 10 got healed, but only one was made whole? The one was made whole, because he partnered with God by coming back and saying thank you.

3 John 2 says, “May you prosper and be in good health, even as your soul prospers.” For our souls to prosper, we need to partner with God by having a grateful attitude. Paul tells to give thanks at all times for all things; James says, consider it pure joy when you face trials; David said, give thanks to the Lord; and Jesus said, Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name! For us to be made well, to be made whole, we need to partner with God in giving thanks to Him, no matter the season of our soul.

The man in John 5 meets Jesus in the temple after he is healed, and Jesus says to him, stop sinning or something worst will happen to you. This statement offended the man and he reported Jesus to the Pharisees, which began their witch hunt to catch him doing something. People that are not grateful will never be made whole. Gratitude is the key to wholeness, which leads to prosperity. So, the question remains, do you want to be made well?

Tattoo Removal

Tags

healing, life, Redemption, Tattoo

I was with a small group of ladies the other day and while we were sharing our hearts with one another, I heard the Lord say, “I want to remove tattoos.” Now I realize the title of this blog is going to cause some to think I am about to pull some random verse out of Leviticus and talk about how we are not to mark our body with ink. Or others may be thinking I am going to say, having a tattoo is wrong. Actually, that is not at all what I believe the Lord is talking about. So, if you will follow me for a few minutes, I believe you will hear a word of life and redemption.

As people we have all experienced things in our life that has brought us pain. I tell people, everyone has a bruised soul, it is part of being human. So, there is no shame, because we all have things that have bruised our souls, and we all have the opportunity to be healed by the Lord in this area, if we are willing to open our heart to Him and let Him heal us. Jesus says in Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

The challenge most of us face is the reality that the pain, the sin, the situation has become a tattoo on our soul. A tattoo is a constant reminder of what happened to us. For each person that tattoo may look different, but every person knows what that tattoo reminds them of. In the natural people have tattoos on their bodies to remind them of some event or experience in their lives, whether positive or negative. Tattoos are a reminder, they are a statement. I believe the Lord is wanting us to give him permission to remove the tattoos on our souls that remind us of the pain that was inflicted on us.

One of the things hidden in the tattoo is unforgiveness. It is not obvious, because it is a scheme of the enemy to keep you in pain. 2 Corinthians 2:10-11 says, “If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven–if there was anything to forgive–I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes”. When the Lord removes the tattoo of that memory, the unforgiveness will be revealed and healed.

Another thing hidden behind the tattoo is pride. The tattoo reminds us of an experience that happened to us, so we do not let anyone ever do that to us again. Anger is the anesthesia that numbs the pain, and becomes a breeding ground for pride. Pride in one of its forms, is self-protection, and once the tattoo is removed, the Lord will become your Psalm 46:1, “The Lord is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in time of trouble”.

The Lord is inviting us to let Him remove the tattoos on our souls, not to expose us, but to heal us. Kris Vallaton of Bethel Church in Redding, CA said, “There is nothing God cannot redeem, no matter how messy!” I believe, along with many other leaders in the body of Christ, that this is the year of restoration and wholeness. To be restored, to become whole, God needs to remove some tattoos in your life. Are you willing to accept the invitation of God for tattoo removal?

Not First…Only!

Tags

Christianity, Contentment, Empowerment, grace, healing, Jesus, Joy, maturity, prosperity, Truth

When we as people hear the word first, it denotes order, priority, some form of list. We see first as there is something that comes second. Most of us, when we read Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:33, it says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you”, we take that as an order of way to prioritize our lives.Therefore, what we do is our quiet time first, pay our tithe first, give God our first, whatever. Then once we have done what we were supposed to do first, we do whatever we want, second, third, and so on. While I was fasting and praying with a group of people last week, the Lord began to speak to me that first does not denote there is a second, first actually means only. To God, when He says, seek first, He means seek only. We are called to seek only the kingdom of God and His righteousness, not first, but rather only. As I began to meditate on this idea of only, rather than first, it made me realize how many idols we have in our lives and we do not even realize it.

If we pursue anything in addition to the Father, it is an idol. An idol is anything we look to, we pursue in order to meet a need we have. Look at Matthew 6 again, it says in verse 1, “Take care not to do your good deeds publically or before men, in order to be seen by them; otherwise you will have no reward  with and from your Father Who is in heaven”. The good deeds Matthew is referring to are noted in the following verses, he says, when you give, when you pray and when you fast, do it in secret, why, because you need affirmation and if you seek approval or affirmation from men, it is an idol and the Lord does not compete with idols, so you lose your reward. 

In the former age of Christendom seeking God first was acceptable, it was expected, but we have crossed over into the kingdom of God age, and in this new normal we have entered, we are to seek the kingdom of God only. That is why the call to secret is so critical, because our affirmation needs to come from the Lord only. If others affirm us, it is appreciated, but it is not needed. This is powerful, because if you need the affirmation of man for what you do, you will eventually do what man expects in order to get their affirmation, instead of what God wants and then man becomes an idol.  

Seeking the kingdom of God only, means the only one in front of us is the Father and everything else is behind us. It can be likened to driving a car, if you spend your whole drive looking over your shoulder behind you, you are going to crash, but if you are facing forward, looking forward and your focus is forward, then if you glance in the rear view mirror now and then you can see what is following you, but you are not focused on what is behind you. Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first (ONLY), the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things (your needs) will be given to you.” Your needs are behind you, when you are seeking the kingdom of God only, they are not in front of you as something you pursue. When we seek only the Father, everything we need, want, desire, dream about will pursue us, as we pursue the Father.

To seek God only takes a lot of trust, you have to put all your attention on Him only. No pursuing your career, a spouse, a promotion, prosperity, nothing. Everything must be literally behind your back and the only thing in front of your eyes is the Father. Most people cannot do this, many will not agree with this, some will not have the courage to try it. But to those who have ears to hear, the Lord promises you, if you pursue Him only, obey His voice always, your reward will blow your mind. Because when our worth is found in the love of God, when our fear is swallowed up in the presence of God’s perfect love, when our trust is in the heart of God, we will find the rewards of God taking us over. The Father is looking for those who only want Him, not in words, but in hearts desire, because then whether we are in a job or without a job, whether we are married or not, our needs our met in God alone.

I close with the words of the Apostle Paul, “I know how to be abased and live humbly in straitened circumstances, and I know also how to enjoy plenty and live in abundance. I have learned in any and all circumstances the secret of facing every situation, whether well-fed or going hungry, having a sufficiency and enough to spare or going without and being in want. I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me!” (Philippians4:12-13)

Wisdom, Along With Everything Else is God

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Christianity, God, grace, healing, life, love, prosperity, wisdom

Job 28:23, 28 “God understands the way (to Wisdom) and He knows the

                             place of it (Wisdom is with God alone. …But to man He

                             said, behold the reverential and worshipful fear of the

                             Lord – that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is

                             Understanding.”

 

Preachers all over the world offer the character traits and attributes of God separate from God Himself. This is not intentional, but it is done weekly in churches all over the world. We promise people prosperity, wisdom, grace, healing, you name it, as something that God gives, rather than as something that God is. For whatever reason, we have taken who God is and made Him into something He does. To God, there is no separation between who He is and what He does. He is One through and through and he has made us as humans the same way.

We cannot give money away without being a person of generosity; we cannot say words of comfort without being a person of compassion. What we do is who we are, they are not two separate things. Just as we cannot show love to our spouse or child without being love ourselves, God cannot do anything without it being who He is, in His divine nature. So, when we tell people God wants to prosper them, many are looking for money to fall out of the sky, but God is looking for people that want to know Him as one that loves to see His people prosper.

To try and get something from God without wanting God, Himself, is a violation of design. In human language that is taking someone for granted. So, when Job declares Wisdom is with God alone, he is saying, God is wisdom, it is not something He does, it who He is and if you want wisdom you have to want God. Unfortunately, without realizing it, we have been offering people what God is without sharing with them who God is. So, we have perversions, like people that name it and claim it, thinking that is the key to prosperity. Or people who are walking away from God because they did not get the healing they were praying for. God is not a vending machine and our prayers are not the coins that activate it. He is God, He is good, He is healing, He is wisdom, He is truth, He is generous, when we want Him, not for what He has, but for who He is, we will eventually see in our lives all He is.

The reality is, God wants us to know Him, want Him, need Him, in our lives and if we were honest and stripped it all away, that is what we are longing for. Our spirits are crying out for an intimate, passionate, fervent relationship with God, His stuff is nice, but when you have Him, you are not even thinking about all those other things. When people know you want them, not what they have, they open up their hearts and their treasures to you, but if they perceive you are after their stuff, they will withhold themselves and their stuff. It is a law of the kingdom that cannot be broken, God is wisdom, they are one in the same person. May you desire God, not what God gives or has. Remember Matthew 6:33, seek first (as your only desire) the kingdom (the king’s domain) and all these things (whatever you think you need) will be added unto you.

I know from experience that when I get God, His presence, His power, His face, nothing else has any significance. He is truly All I want!