Seismic Shift

Tags

Abundance, Body of Christ, Christianity, church, kingdom of God, life, Religion, Ressurection, Shift

seis·mic

relating to earthquakes or other vibrations of the earth and its crust.

• relating to or denoting geological surveying methods involving vibrations produced artificially by explosions.
• of enormous proportions or effect.

 

I see a seismic shift coming to the Body of Christ. It is a shift on a proportion not seen in our generation up to this point. It started that day Jesus died when the tectonic plates shifted and the earth began to quake (Matthew 27:50-52), it had its first manifestation with the sightings of the resurrected Christ (1 Corinthians 15:6), the outpouring of the spirit on the day of Pentecost and the birth of the church in Acts 2. It has been building momentum since Peter and John healed the man at the gate beautiful (Acts 3). It refused to be stopped at the stoning of Stephen in Acts 7, but gained momentum when Saul became Paul in Acts 9. Then it progressed with the planting of Apostolic Centers in Jerusalem, Caesarea, Antioch and beyond. Josephus wrote about it in his historical records of that day, the church fathers tried to describe it by making it a creed or a doctrine, but it is so much bigger than that. Tyndale and Guttenberg accelerated it when they took the Word of God out of the hand of certain people and put it into the hands of all people. Can you see how this has been building over the years. Setbacks became set ups; hindrances became hemi power; persecution became promotion of the gospel of the kingdom; Marie Woodworth-Etter carried it, William Seymour preached it, John G. Lake manifested it, John Wimber and Billy Graham advanced it, Kenneth Copeland and Myles Munroe promoted it, and many today are speaking it, but all of that was only is a glimpse, for what is coming is glory!

This seismic shift is going to do immeasurably more than you could ever ask for or even think (Ephesians 3:20); we are living in the days of Noah, yes there is water coming on a level that will blow your mind, and just like in the days of Noah it is going to wash away evil, but this time, this wave is not going to only save 8 people, it is going to save whole nations; this wave of glory has been building for over 2,000 years not to destroy us but to redeem us. This seismic shift is going to change the nations on a level that many cannot even dream of, it is going to change the way we think, it is going to wash away the ceilings of unbelief and launch you into realms of faith that you did not know existed. Small minded thinking is going to be washed away and believing that anything is possible will be released. The years of disappointment are going to be replaced with dreams and desires God has put in you are going to become a reality. We are going to shift from the evangelistic approach that tells people that they need Jesus to people coming to you and asking who is your God?

The seismic shift is going to reveal to us the reality of how much we possess and call us to increase our occupation. As children of Abraham, we were promised many things we have not occupied, but as you realize how much you have been given as a possession, but have yet to occupy, it will ignite a passion in you to occupy until He comes (Luke 19:13). Once you see how much God has for you, it will cause faith to arise in you and your desire to obey will come from His goodness, not from fear of punishment. When God reveals His goodness on you, it will soften your heart; give you the grace to surrender, knowing He is good, really good; and will draw you near to Him not push you away from Him; His generosity on you is going to break the spirit of lack, which is rooted in an orphan spirit; His goodness is going to propel you into your possession.

This seismic shift is going to start as a sound that comes out of me and you, then it will be seen on us, in and through us. I’m ready for the seismic shift, are you? Ready or not, here it comes!

Re-Tiring: It’s Going to Be a Good Year

Tags

arise, Dry bones, Encouragement, Ezekiel 47, Good Year, grace, Isaiah 43, Kingdom People, life, love, power, Prophesy, Truth

Re-Tiring: It’s Going to Be a Good Year 2.7.17

http://www.apostolicresourcecenter.org

 

I got a phone call the other day from a friend who was concerned she was going to be retired by God from doing ministry. I said to her, you think you are going to be retired, what happened. She began to explain her situation and asked me to pray as she was uncertain of how this situation would turn out. Then 4 days later, I got a text message from her that said, she resigned and now had been retired. I knew she was in pain, so I did not want to call as she was in the process of retiring from the place she was in up until that morning. While I was praying for her the Lord spoke to me and said, I am not retiring her, I am re-tiring her! I sent her a text immediately with this word from the Lord and I added, this is going to be a really good year. She immediately called me and disappointment and discouragement turned into hope and joy of what is coming with this re-tiring.

 

This statement from the Lord, I am not retiring her, but re-tiring her, has been ringing in my spirit for the past 24 hours and I sense this is not just a word for her, but for many in the body of Christ. Lana Vawser has released prophetic words related to a shift in direction for many in the body of Christ; Doug Addison has prophesied this is a time of realignment and reassignment; so I sense the words God spoke to me are just another piece in this puzzle of the major changes many of us are going through right now. The reason I decided to release this word, is because I think there are people who feel like they have been retired by God and I am here to declare to you today, no matter your age, your gender, your race, or your nationality, that God is not retiring you, He is re-tiring you!

 

Re-tiring is a word we do not hear often, and if you are in the tire business or know anything about retreading, you understand that retreading is putting new tread on old tires. Re-tiring is God giving many in the body of Christ a brand-new set of tires. When we drive on the same set of tires for many miles, they have what is called tread wear, they lose their ability to grip the road, to withstand various weather conditions and are more susceptible to go flat. Some people have been riding on the same old tires for many years, but the Lord is not retiring you, He is re-tiring you. The Lord is inviting us to accept a brand-new set of tires, so we can continue to go for many more miles and make many more memories.

 

The challenge some are going to face in this season is that it is cheaper and easier to just keep the same old tires and when they wear out to just retire. Unfortunately, there is no scriptural backing for that attitude, so I am here to speak life into those dry bones (Ezekiel 47) and say, you will live again, you are a great army and we need you, arise! Or in the words of Isaiah “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise” (Isaiah 43”:18-21).

 

Remember the word of the Lord to us…we are not being retired, we are being re-tired! and I would like to add, it’s going to be a good year!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tongues of Fire

Tags

life, Pentecost, Speech, Use your words wisely

Tongues of Fire 7.13.16

lisagreat.com

Everything that has come down, was put within us, now what we are waiting for, is it to come out of us.

Jesus instructed His disciples to wait in Jerusalem, until they were endued with fire, Acts 1:8 says it this way, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, AND you shall be my witnesses…” What came down was the Holy Spirit, in the form of tongues of fire, those tongues of fire are in our mouth, they are not coming down again. Jesus said in John 16:7, “”But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.” Just as the dove came down and rested on Jesus at His baptism in Matthew 3:16, the same Holy Spirit came and rested upon people in the upper room in Acts 2, but in the form of tongues of fire.

Many people are looking up, waiting for something to come down. We pray out of Matthew 6, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, as though it is something outside of us. We are looking up for God to send something down, but the Lord is looking down, waiting for something to come out…of us. I wonder if the reason we are not seeing a breakthrough, is not because something has not come down, but rather because something has not come out. In the past season we would sing, Holy Spirit Rain Down, but I believe the song of this season is Spirit Break Out, break our walls down. Christ in you, Christ in me, is the hope of glory! He must come out of us.

While I was in worship on Sunday night at Bethel Church in Redding, CA, the spirit of God spoke to me and said, “You have been given tongues of fire, your words light up the nations!” The Lord has given us tongues of fire and in the midst of darkness our words of life bring light and truth to build up the nations not tear them down. The very next thing I saw was choirs of nations, singing, Great Are You Lord, it was a picture of whole nations lifting up their voices in one song to the Lord. I was calling to the various nations, to join in the song of the Lord.

Isaiah 60:1-3 says, “Arise, shine, for your light has broken through!

The Eternal One’s brilliance has dawned upon you.

2 See truly; look carefully—darkness blankets the earth;

people all over are cloaked in darkness.

But God will rise and shine on you;

the Eternal’s bright glory will shine on you, a light for all to see.

3 Nations north and south, peoples east and west, will be drawn to your light,

will find purpose and direction by your light.

In the radiance of your rising, you will enlighten the leaders of nations. (the Voice translation)

I believe now more than ever before, we have a mandate from heaven to let our tongues of fire out, so the nations can sing Great Are You Lord. As we speak life, we light up people’s lives, we light up nations with hope, peace and joy, we bring healing through the fire of our words of life. We have been given tongues of fire, in the past many have used their tongues to burn up what they deemed wrong, but today, we are being commissioned to use our tongues of fire to light up the nations with the light of the life that comes out of our mouths. You have tongues of fire, light up the nations!

Discipleship Training Camp

Tags

Character, Discipleship, Growth, life, maturity, Perserverance, spiritual growth, Training

Job 5:17 “Truly, that man is happy who has training from the hand of God: so do not let your heart be shut to the teaching of the Ruler of all. Blessed is the person God corrects. So don’t hate the Mighty One’s training.”

When I was a teenager, I watched a movie called The Karate Kid. This was the original version, with Ralph Macchio, 1984. During that movie, Mr. Miagi was an older man who was a master teacher of karate. And Ralph Macchio was this young kid who thought he knew more than he really did. In the movie, Mr. Miagi had Ralph doing some chores, but Ralph had signed up to be trained in karate, so his attitude was sour at times and his understanding was limited. Little did the Karate Kid know that painting the fence and waxing the car was training for being a national and international karate champion.

God is a lot like Mr. Miagi, He doesn’t always explain to you why He is training you the way He is, but when we are faced with a fight that is going to require specific skills, we are going to see that He trained us for such a time as this.

Maybe it is just me, but I have been in training for over 15 years now. The training has brought me into a church that taught me how to die to myself and have no opinion; into a country that advanced my training to the back side of the desert, where I learned that God alone is the one I can depend on; and it has brought me through the narrow gate by which I have experienced the reality of the kingdom of God and the love of the Father. But I am still in training and sometimes, I have no idea what all the training is for. Some of the things He has had me do, like write books that no publisher wants, or love people that don’t know how to love back, has been like painting the fence or waxing the car. What is it all for?

Proverbs 13:12 says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.”

When you are in training and it takes longer than you thought, it can cause hope to be deferred, but the thing about hope is that it keeps rising up in your spirit, keeps pushing you to not give up, to never quit, for you know, that a longing fulfilled is coming. Training is never fun, sometimes it is painful and there are even times when you may ask, what is this all for anyway? But one thing I have learned through all this training, is that I have gotten stronger and stronger on the inside. Circumstances don’t move me, people can’t detour me, and the presence of God is more real to me than ever before.

I know there is a championship fight coming very soon and just like David who had to beat the lion and the bear so he had confidence to take on Goliath, we have been in God’s discipleship training camp. It has built confidence in us that God is a good Father; it has taught us self-control; it has trained our ear to hear His voice; and has taught us what is truly valuable. Wax on, wax off, because we are about to defeat the giant and liberate all the people of God. God is a master teacher and we are in discipleship training camp.

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?

Disappointment: A Destiny Battle

Tags

Christianity, Christians, Disappointment, grace, Growth, life, maturity, spiritual growth, Truth

Have you ever gotten your hopes up for something and then it didn’t happen the way you thought it would? Have you ever believed you heard God say something, but it ended not turning out the way you believed it would? Have you ever been fully convinced of something, promised something, confident about something, to only have it not happen? Yeah, me too.

Disappointment is a hard pill to swallow, because you hope, you believe, you are truly convinced of something good happening, then that very thing you were so sure of does not happen and disappointment sets in. I was living in Malaysia and working as a permanent substitute teacher at an International School. I was in good standing with the administration and other teachers, in addition, my relationship and effectiveness with the students was evident to all. Three positions in my department came open, this is unusual, since I am in Guidance and Counseling, but all three counseling positions in our school came open. My principal spoke to me and asked which position I wanted, so I told him and he said your name is penciled in, but we have to go to some job fairs and find the other two positions before we can give you a contract for your position. I was elated by this, now my son could attend this school, which was one of my hearts desires, I would have a full time job and this would add income to our family and help fulfill some of our dreams as a family. Everywhere I turned this looked the like blessing of the Lord and to say the least, I was very excited. I believed this was an answer to my prayers, I sensed the Lord say this job was for me, I mean I knew that I knew this was the job, I had went to school for.

Have you ever been in that place where everything lined up according to what you were praying for? Have you ever been fully convinced in your spirit, then it all was in agreement in the natural? Have you ever had so many confirmations about what you heard God say, that you were already spending the money and decorating your office, so to speak, in what you knew was going to happen? This is faith right, being confident of what we do not see and acting as though we already have it. Faith is what pleases God, so I was to say the least, fully engaged by faith in this answer to my prayer. Then one day, my principal comes into my office and says, I don’t  know how to say this, but while we were out on a job fair, we found a husband and wife team, whom of which both are school counselors and we needed the one position and her husband wanted your position, so we gave it to them. I am so sorry, this is such a rare thing that happened, but it is our policy to hire husband and wife teams. He then walked out of my office. Selah!

I sat there in my office, stunned. Really, is this really happening right now, I so convinced that this is what the Lord told me, how did I miss this one? You can only imagine the thoughts running through my head, the questions I had, the temptation to be mad at God. But, I heard a sermon by Bill Johnson on dealing with disappointment and he said how we handle disappointment determines our destiny. I did not understand the relevance of this message, until this very moment. I had to decide was God still good, even though I didn’t get what I want, or was I going to stop believing in God? It was a very real question and whether you hear it in your head or your heart, you are asking the same thing when you experience disappointment.

Bishop Raphael Green says, we go through destiny battles. I was in a destiny battle and did not even realize it. I was disappointed, to say the very least, but one thing I knew, is that God is good and that He works out all things for the good, for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. The disappointment did not go away, but the battle was won, because I decided that even though He slay me, still I would follow. I was not going to let the loss of a job destroy my destiny in God.

Every one of us faces disappointments, some are more hard to handle than others, but disappointment is no respecter of persons. However, it is a destiny battle and how you handle disappointment determines your destiny. The enemy will mock God, He will try and tell you God lied to you, God is not for you, God doesn’t want you blessed, and on and on the mocking goes. But, if you can push past the pain of disappointment, you will hear a whisper that says, it was for my glory. God does not break His promises, He does not lie, He is faithful, He is good, He is our Father, and what you believe about Him comes out when you are facing a destiny battle. Don’t doubt the goodness of God, for in due time, you will reap a harvest for all the seeds you have sown, whether financially or in tears. They are all seeds and He is faithful, even when we are going through disappointment. Win the destiny battle my friend! I did and I know you can and you will.

Money: Your Servant, Not Your Savior by Lisa Great

Tags

life, maturity, Money, power, prosperity, Savior, Servants

  

Money is the talk of every town around the world. Some people are complaining that they don’t have enough; others are declaring and demanding they want and need more; still others are worried about money; and some are arguing over money. Possibly one of the most discussed subjects around the world, in the church, in companies, in cities and in countries, is the subject of money. Some are saying we spend too much, other are upset we save too much, some move for money, others suffer unduly for it, really there is no escaping the discussion of money. With all this focus on money, it is no wonder, whether known or unknown to many people, money has become their savior.

A savior is someone or something we look to in order to get us out of a mess, to bring us satisfaction, to meet our needs. People are asking for money every day, they are praying for money continually, and they are in need of money all the time. Whether it is to buy this or buy that. Everyone needs more money. If you were new to this planet, we call earth, you might wonder if this is our god, based on the amount of time and energy we spend on this very subject, we call money. However, this should not be for those who are in Christ. Money is not to be our savior, it is to be our servant. The only reason we should be discussing money is because we need to tell it where to go.

Matthew 25:14-46 is a portion of scripture known as the Parable of the Talents. In this story, servants are given a promotion by their master. The master gives the servants ownership of some talents, which more often than not has been translated money. One servant is given 5 talents of money, another is given 2 talents of money, and 1 is given one talent of money. In the story, 2 of the 3 servants put the money to work for them and by doing so they produce more talents. 1 servant hides the money, out of fear, and upon the masters return, he gives back the one talent of money he was given. This story is a great example of the call for us to make money our servants not our savior. Servants go to work for you, they do what you say. If servants are sent to proper places, they will produce, for they by design were created to work for you.

Every person that makes any amount of money is a master of that money. By design, we were given the authority to rule over everything on the earth (Genesis 1). Each month every person is given a certain number or servants to rule over. For me I am given 1700 servants a month, how I use these servants will determine whether or not I am given more servants. These servants are my money. I send some servants to the mortgage company; I send other servants to the grocery store; I send some servants to the gas and energy company; and some servants are sent to church. But each servant is sent in a direction to work for me. I do not work for my 1700 servants, they work for me. How I put them to work, will either produce more servants for me, or I may lose the servants I already have, if I do not use them wisely.

We have been given the ability to rule as masters over servants (money). We are more powerful than we realize, if you see your monthly income as a number of servants, you will see that God is using those servants to test your faithfulness. Some people are given more servants to start than you are, but everyone is being tested to see how they use those servants. Then based on what we do with them, will determine if we are given more servants to dispatch.

Money is our servant, not our savior. We are rulers over more than we ever realized. It is time we start using our servants to produce more servants in our lives, so we can do more with our lives. Money is your servant, not your savior. You don’t look to money to get you out of trouble, you look to the Lord. You don’t worry about, fight about, lose sleep over, stress over, money. It is not your savior, it cannot get you where you need to be. Put your money to work, it is your servant and you are in a position of power, authority, and rulership, so, steward well, rule well, and you will be given more servants.

Dual Realities

Tags

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

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

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

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

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

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

What a joy to live with dual realities.

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

Change in the Command Center

Tags

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Digging Cisterns or Drilling Wells

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

 Digging Cisterns or Drilling Wells

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

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

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

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

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

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

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