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!

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What Is Love?

Tags

God's Love, Gospel, Jesus, love, Truth, Unconditional Love, Valentines Day, Veterans

February is traditionally the month where love seems to be the topic of discussion. With Valentine’s day coming on the 14th, many are thinking about who they love, who they used to love and who they want to love. So, I decided to ask the question, what is love? Many would point to 1 Corinthians 13, the “love chapter” or John 3:16, the “love verse”, but still the question remains, what is love? Is love a noun or is it a verb? I believe the answer is yes! Love is a noun and love is a verb, but one thing love is not, is unconditional. Unconditional means not subject to any conditions according to dictionary.com. So, what is love?

 

Love is a noun and a verb! 1 John 4:7-9 says, “Beloved, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him.…” Love is a noun, because God is love! Love is a verb, because God sent His one and only Son into the world. If love was unconditional, if God could just declare He is love and never show that love, is it really love? The answer is NO! Love cannot be love unless it has a corresponding action of love.

 

One reason people like the idea of love being unconditional, is because they have bought into the lie that something is free. Nothing is free, freedom is not free, just ask the veteran or Jesus who died on the cross for your sins, so you could be free. Your freedom cost Him His life. It may seem like its free or unconditional to you, but someone, somewhere paid a price for everything you believe is free or unconditional. If love was unconditional, why did Jesus have to be obedient unto to death, even death on a cross? (Philippians 2); if love is unconditional, why were there two trees in the garden?

 

I have come to realize that we like staying children in our faith and in our lives because then we think we can continue to receive something for nothing. Look at all the things we believe are free, salvation, grace, love, just to name a few. Salvation is a covenant and ask any married person, covenants are not free, they are very costly; grace is empowerment, not a free for all, just ask the apostle Paul (Romans 6 & 7); and love is not free as we noted above. If we are going to grow up, we must realize that responsibility and requirements are not striving or living under the Law, but rather they come with maturity and a biblical understanding of what love really is.

 

Whether we realize it or not, we have been immersed in a spirit of lawlessness, which is why we want everything for free and when boundaries are set for safety reasons, some will reject them. Love is God and love has requirements. God required Himself to provide a sacrifice for our sins when He loved us enough to give us a free will. Our government loves us, that is why there are speed limits and traffic lights. Love is not lawlessness, love is having requirements. If love was unconditional then there would be no reason to believe in Jesus Christ as the One and only way to the Father (John 14:6).

 

When I was a youth pastor, I would tell the parents of my students, L-O-V-E are the boundaries that you set so your student feels safe. There is a difference between rules and boundaries, but that is another blog. So, what is love? Love is freedom, love is truth, love is grace, love is power, love is life, love is what will grow us up, but one thing love is not is free. You must choose to love, so if it costs you nothing else in your mind, it costs you your will. For Jesus said, If you love Me, you will keep my commandments! (John 14:15)

What the world needs is love, what I need is love, what you need is love, and when we understand love, then we will never go back to something masquerading as love. If it has no cost, it has no value. This is love, God is love!

Love is Kryptonite to the Enemy

Tags

Apostles, church, Discipleship, Follow Me, Harvest, Jesus, leadership, Movement, Parables

Love is Kryptonite to the Enemy

 

 

Have you ever had a frustration conversation with the Lord? You know one of those prayer times where somethings off, you feel stuck, heaven seems silent on an issue? I had one of those talks with the Lord just the other day. During this, let’s be honest, one sided conversation, I was doing all the talking, the Lord spoke to me and said, “Follow the yellow brick road”. Now for religious people that will be hard to believe God would say that, but to relationship people, they totally get it. God said, “Follow the yellow brick road.” I had just bought the movie the Wizard of Oz, as someone I met is doing a prophetic project in Kansas and asked me to watch it. I grabbed my pen and paper and sat down to watch the Wizard of Oz like I would a sermon. What I didn’t know was how prophetic that movie would be for me.

“Jesus called a little child to stand among them. “Truly I tell you, He said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3-4). As I watched this movie the Lord began to speak to me from go. First of all, Dorothy was living with her aunt and uncle, so she was either orphaned or some other situation happened to her parents. Next, she had a dream, which is what put her into the land of Oz and she knew she had gone over the rainbow. Upon arrival in her house, which was the vehicle that took her to the land of Oz, she landed on the wicked witch of the East and killed her. With instructions from the leader of the munchkins, she took the ruby red slippers off of the wicked witch of the East and put them on her feet and was told these slippers would protect her, so just follow the yellow brick road. (There are so many prophetic things right here for you to consider).

The story goes on and she meets three men on her following of the yellow brick road, a scarecrow who needs intelligence, a tin man who needs a heart and a lion who needs courage. As each joins her on following the yellow brick road, to Emerald City to meet the Oz, she encounters along the way the wicked witch of the West. The truth that hit me like a tidal wave was, that because she was wearing the ruby red slippers, the wicked witch of the West could not lay a hand on her. When the Lord highlighted this to me, I remembered that in scripture rubies mean passionate love. The Lord spoke to me and said, “Lisa, passionate lovers are kryptonite to the enemy, because he has no love in him”.

Immediately, I began to weep, as I knew that love is the answer to victory in our lives as believers. When we are lovers, the enemy cannot touch us, love is kryptonite to the enemy. No wonder Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35). Our love for God and for one another is what keeps the enemy at bay, for if we are lovers of God and lovers of people, he has nothing in us to work with. No wonder the enemy had nothing in Jesus (John 14:30), Jesus was a lover of His Father and of us as people. This is powerful to me, for I knew love was the answer, but I did not realize how powerful it actually was.

As the movie came to an end, they arrived at the door of the Emerald City and finally met the Oz, who did not grant their requests as presented for a brain, heart, courage and a home, but he gave them more than they asked for. Not only did love keep the enemy at bay, love kept them on the yellow brick road that led them to the place where they were given more than they could have asked or even imagined (Ephesians 3:20). When we are wearing the ruby red slippers of passionate love for God and for people, the enemy cannot touch us, for love is kryptonite to the enemy.

 

Take the Land

Tags

Christianity, church, Jesus, kingdom of God, Land, leadership

In the Old Testament, Israel was commanded to take the physical land of Canaan and all the other lands the Lord was giving to them as their inheritance. Each tribe was given a section of land that was designated as theirs. They had to conquer kingdoms, fight giants, tear down walls and keep advancing in order to take the land that Yahweh was giving to them. The Lord even went as far as to say, wherever your foot treads, that land will be yours (Deuteronomy 11:24/Joshua 1:3). So, Israel marched in and took over land from other peoples who were enemies of Israel and were squatting on land that belonged to Israel, for the Psalmist tells us, “The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;” (Psalm 24:1, NIV). But when Jesus came to the earth, there was a significant change that took place, but that many, if not most have missed it.

In John 2, Jesus is having a discussion with some Jews after He turned over tables in the temple and this is what Jesus said, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” But the temple he had spoken of was his body” (NIV). Jesus makes a significant shift in understanding from the temple being brick and mortar to the temple being His body, He now was the temple. Then Paul takes the thought one step further when he says, “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God?” (1 Cor. 6:19, NLT). So, there is a shift that takes place from that which used to be outside of them to it being inside of them.

As New Testament believers everything that Israel obtained in the natural or outside of them, like land, like defeating of enemies, like building temples, all of these things are what the Lord has placed inside of us. Think about this for a minute, Jesus prayed in Matthew 6, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”. Who is the earth Jesus is referencing? Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:7 that we have this treasure in earthen vessels. Is it possible, Jesus was praying that the kingdom of God would advance inside of us, that God is seeking to take ground in our hearts, in our lives, not in the earth, but in people? Think about this for a minute, Christ in you is the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27), then from what direction is the Lord seeking to advance His kingdom, outside of you or inside of you? Where is your real battle, is it outside of you or inside of you? James says, “For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice” (James 3:16, NIV). James, Paul, Jesus all say that everything is inside of us.

The land the Lord is calling us to take is inside of us, not outside of us. The battles we face are not outside of us, they are inside of us and inside of others. The only way anything is outside of us is if it comes out of our mouths (Luke 6:45) or our actions. The fruit of the spirit is inside of you, the spirit of God is inside of you, the kingdom of God is inside of you. Everything you need is inside of you, but it all starts with you allowing the Lord to advance the kingdom of God within you. Many people are not successful, not effective, not because they have not had a door open, or an opportunity arise, but because they have resisted the advancing of the kingdom of God in you. 3 John 2 says, “May you prosper and be in good health, even as your soul prospers” (NIV). The land the Lord is trying to take is inside of you, so who controls how much land is taken, you do. Let Jesus, Take the land!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

War – Victory – Occupation

Tags

Jesus, Never retreat, Occupy, Stand, Taking ground, Victory, War

The Combine Harvesters Are Coming!

Tags

Agriculture, Farming, Harvest, Jesus, Reaping, Sowing, Threshing

As I sat in on an Intercession and Warfare class taught by Heather Eschenbaum, author of the book, Fasting Is Not About Food, she made mention of her time growing up on a farm and spoke about a combine. It was like an arrow that was turned to lightning that flashed across my spirit as the word combine harvester was spoken. I studied this word out and the Lord began to minister to me about the combine harvesters that are coming and what they will do.

Combine harvesters are machines that harvest crops, combining three separate operations of harvesting into a single process. The three procedures include reaping, threshing and winnowing of the grain. It is one of the most economically important, labor saving, inventions of our time and God is making teams of people into combine harvesters.

Luke 10:1-3 “Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come. And He was saying to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore, beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Go, behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.’”

Combine harvesters will speak and their words will separate the grain, which is weighty, valuable, and portrayed as people in Scripture, from the stalk, which is light, weightless and which the Lord revealed to me as systems (political, religious, educational, worldly). The Lord is going to send in teams of people to harvest fields that are ripe but still connected to the stalk. Once the grain is separated from the stalk, the Lord will store the grain in places that it can be processed (discipled) and then sent out to produce more grain.

In John 12:24 Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” Jesus was the original grain that went into the ground and died, we are the much fruit, but there is more grain to be harvested. Many of us are like grain that has been hidden in the ground and has died, but the Lord says, your death to self and systems is going to produce much fruit. We are the combine harvesters.

God has hidden us in the secret place, while He created us into an invention that is economical and labor saving. As we are sent out into the harvest fields, it is to gather grain. Grain is people and people are the only thing that is eternal. Our job is to speak the TRUTH, which will set the people free from the world’s system, religion’s system and the other systems. I wish you could hear me shouting…The Combine Harvesters Are Coming!

The Door of Escape is About To Close

Tags

Christianity, Darkness, escape, Fear, Isaiah 65, Jesus, maturity, Open Door, Prophecy, Warning

Darkness marches on as though God is unaware; evil increases as though God will do nothing; the enemy is taking prisoners freely, as though there is no deliverer; wickedness flaunts itself on t.v, in movie theatres, magazines and newspapers around the world as though they are in control; but God is going to suddenly turn on the light of His glory, without notice, He is going to show up and darkness will flee. The enemy is throwing a party that many are engaged in, but when the glory comes down and the darkness flees, people will be seen in shameful places.

The Lord has been speaking, He has been calling people out of these systems of darkness, but many have shut their ears to His voice, because of the benefits they are receiving from the systems. They were lured in with promises of wealth, women, promotion, position, etc. and many went like sheep to the slaughter, not knowing it is a trap. My people are trapped in systems of debt; sexually immoral systems; governmental and political systems; and religious systems. God has been making a way of escape, but you have refused to leave, let go, say no. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life have trapped you and you think no one sees, no one notices. But God has been calling out to you, you hear His voice, but you refuse to come out. You have been warned of the coming disaster/judgement, but you think you will escape.

The door of escape is about to close, the opportunity to exit is coming to an end, once the door is shut, your decision will be final. This is yet another call to come out of her. Fear is keeping you bound, but if you will yield and say yes to the voice of God, the Lord will set you free. Come out of her My people, don’t delay, the door of exit is about to close.

(Inspired by Isaiah 65 and 66)

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)