A Language We Can Understand

When dealing with small children, there are many things that are impossible to explain to them. You can go into all the physics of why it's a bad idea to stick a key in a light socket, but none of that hits home with a 2-yr old until the experiment is tried. Then there is understanding. Why? Because it hurts! Pain is one of those universal languages.

Jesus is a topic that the world at large does not understand. We can go into all the reasons why we need Jesus, but to the lost - it's a message of foolishness. What language can we use to reach the lost who just don't get it? Kingdom. Jesus went about preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom. There was much the people did not get, but they understood peace in the storm. They understood food in the desert. They understood healing for the lepers. They understood the dead walked again. Certainly not all liked what they saw, but multitudes sought out the source: Jesus.

When the church comes to a place where, as a body, it is actively and effectively sharing the Kingdom of God, then people will seek the source like the world has never seen. These are the greater things.

Word of the age: Co-labor

1Co 3:9a KJV
(9) For we are labourers together with God

Our aspirations should be tested in God ...

1Sa 14:7-10 MKJV
(7) And his armor-bearer said to him, Do all that is in your heart. Turn, for behold, I am with you according to your heart.
(8) And Jonathan said, Behold, we will go over to these men, and we will show ourselves to them.
(9) If they say this to us, Stand still until we come to you, then we will stand still in our place and will not go up to them.
(10) But if they say this, Come up to us, then we will go up, for Jehovah has delivered them up into our hand. And this shall be a sign to us.

What we would consider a pretentious aspiration... perhaps even arrogant... we will realize that God wants to co-labor even greater things with us than that. Two men taking a Philistine garrison? GET REAL!

This is co-laboring with God. It seems pretentious to the world. Step up and realize who you are in Christ. You need no other credentials.

It Is Better

Joh 16:7 MKJV
(7) But I tell you the truth, it is expedient for you that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Comforter will not come to you. But if I depart, I will send Him to you.

A good buddy was pondering this verse today. The disciples had Jesus in their midst. They walked with Him, talked with Him, vented to Him... He was their friend. When He told them it was 'better' that He go away so that the Comforter could come, they didn't really get it. After all... how could it possibly get any better? How could you beat the feeling of knowing Jesus was just right there?

Then Peter denied Jesus. It was apparent that even with Jesus in the next room, there could be separation. Even as Jesus passed right in front of his eyes, there was a separation from Peter - a gap that he didn't know how to bridge. Well, Jesus re-bridged that gap for Peter, but Peter had to be sitting there wondering how he was going to prevent that same attack from beating him again.

Then comes Pentecost. Jesus is gone, but His Spirit comes and fills Peter. Now, he knew there was no campfire too remote. There was no fishing boat too lonely. There was no place he could go that Jesus was not with him - even an inverted cross.

Jesus said it would be better. Peter knew it. But we often sit and fantasize about how great it will be when Jesus appears. TRUE! It will be awesome! But we have His Spirit now! Which is better? Jesus told us, but do we believe Him? Do we understand that fellowship with the Spirit is fellowship with God Himself?

There's no boat, or campfire, or road-trip, or living room, or business meeting... that is too lonely.

Success

Gen 39:2 ESV
(2) The LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master.

When we view success as God views success, then many of the worldly pressures we all feel tend to subside. Joseph was not a home-owner. He didn't have his cars paid off, and he didn't belong to the local country club. Joseph was a slave, and yet God called him successful. Why?

Success - to God - is measured by whom you serve in spite of your circumstances.

Passing You By?

Tonight it's storming. We haven't had storms in nearly 2 months. This is a treat and much needed. Before it started, I could see the light show. I knew it was coming, so I had the blinds opened. There was lightning, and more lightning, and more lightning...

A phone call from my buddy told me that he was driving in pouring rain. A monsoon, he said. Nothing here. Just the light show.

Before long, I decided it was probably passing me by. After all, storms here tend to either go north or south, lightning or no. I settled down to enjoy what was left of the light show. It was better than nothing!

Then the rain hit. Wow is it coming down - still! I'm reminded that so many times we think life has passed us by. Whatever it is... family, relationships, love, prosperity (it's right around the corner, you know)... it's passed us by. We're getting older... we just missed it somehow. It's not meant to be.

Then it arrives. All that 'stuff' we've been spouting off to convince ourselves that God's plan for us isn't nearly so fun or pleasant or fulfilling as the next guy's suddenly is revealed for what it was - hogwash.

The next time you think it has passed you by, consider the chances that it simply hasn't arrived yet.

A Kingdom Picture

Jdg 7:19-21 ESV
(19) So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when they had just set the watch. And they blew the trumpets and smashed the jars that were in their hands.
(20) Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the jars. They held in their left hands the torches, and in their right hands the trumpets to blow. And they cried out, "A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!"
(21) Every man stood in his place around the camp, and all the army ran. They cried out and fled.

Again, I love the hidden pictures in scripture. This one speaks to me as a Kingdom picture. There are eschatological overtones all through this chapter, but as the Kingdom progresses in power we see everything ties in to the last days move of God in His people.

The jars are us - this isn't really a stretch. Jars in that day were made of clay, as we are. We have the light of the Word in us - it should burn as a torch. The trumpet is the voice of God (Rev 4:1). In these last days as the people of God wake up, we begin to live more in the Spirit than ever before. When we live in the Spirit as a people, the clay jars will shatter and the torches of the Word will explode in brightness. The world will be able to hear - loud and clear - the voice of God. This will be a time when the enemies of God flee, and those who were in bondage are set free.

The Posture to Partake

Judges 7:4-7 LITV
(4) And Jehovah said to Gideon, The people are still too many. Bring them down to the water, and I will refine them for you there. And it shall be, he of whom I say to you, this one shall go with you, he shall go with you. And any of whom I shall say to you, This one shall not go with you, he shall not go.
(5) And he brought the people down to the water. And Jehovah said to Gideon, Everyone who laps of the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set him apart. And everyone who bows on his knees to drink, set apart.
(6) And the number of those lapping with their hand to their mouth was three hundred men. And all the rest of the people bowed down on their knees to drink water.
(7) And Jehovah said to Gideon, I will deliver you by the three hundred men who lapped, and shall give Midian into your hand. And all the people shall go, each to his place.

Many of us learned this story in Sunday school at one point in our lives. This is a great story, but I'll share what it says to me now.

The water is still the Holy Spirit. There are those who partake of Him only when fatigued. They are tired... they lay down and dip their head in. When times are good, they forget who holds the umbrella above them. Then there are those who pursue God at all times good and bad. These know how to reach for Him. Their posture is not one of concession, but of vigilance.

Vigilance vs. Concession: watching for what God will do vs. hoping God does something. This is faith vs. desperation - a case where faith tends to win every time. The resources of heaven are at our disposal. Faith is our checkbook. Anything else is praying for a handout.

A True Intercessor

In order to be a true intercessor between God and man, heaven and earth, one must be as relevant on earth as you are in heaven. I'm going to illustrate this - think it through carefully. It seems like a 'duh' example... but it's profound to me.

Matthew 14:29-31 MKJV
(29) And He said, Come. And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.
(30) But seeing that the wind was strong, he was afraid. And beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me!
(31) And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him; and said to him, Little-faith! Why did you doubt?

For Peter, the only Truth he cared about when he stepped out of the boat was Jesus. Jesus was his hero. Jesus was someone he trusted. Jesus told him to get out of the boat. Peter did. When Peter did that, he was doing NOTHING in the flesh. He was walking a spiritual walk which - by default - has dominion over all earthly rules. The key to this walk for Peter - was Jesus.

Then Peter looked away. He utters perhaps the shorted prayer in the Bible. HELP! Jesus reached down and grabbed his arm. For Peter, his walk at that moment failed. He went immediately from walking in the Spirit to walking in the flesh. How did he survive this? Jesus! Jesus is the answer in both situations. Jesus is the answer when the Spiritual walk is thriving, and He is the answer when it fails.

Hebrews 1:3a
(3) God's Son has all the brightness of God's own glory and is like him in every way. By his own mighty word, he holds the universe together.

By His word, He can hold you together between your two worlds - the world of the flesh and the world of His Spirit. It is His perfect power that makes Him the perfect intercessor. As we become more like Him, our power of intercession for others also grows. We think more like he thinks - staying above the waves and helping others stay up, too.

Our Backwards Kingdom

Act 3:6-7 ESV
(6) But Peter said, "I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!"
(7) And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong.

In the Kingdom, things 'appear' backwards. The least is the greatest. The way to the top is down. In order to get ahead, you must work to make others successful. To see, you must first believe. In order to live, we must die to flesh. You only get to keep what you give away.

This healing is a picture of the Kingdom. It demonstrates Kingdom rules. First the man was raised up, and then his ankles were made strong.

What is the goal you are currently trying to achieve? Does this give any clarity on how you might achieve it?

Leaves of Healing

In Acts, people were being brought before Peter's path in order to be healed by his shadow as it passed. If we wish to walk in the miraculous, we need to understand. It's not about our shadow - it's about the One who overshadows us. Quit paying attention to the shadow. We are being moved to a place where we are not impressed either with the miracle or the result.

Joh 7:38 MKJV
(38) He who believes on Me, as the Scripture has said, "Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water."

If there is a river coming out of your belly, you have no need to worry if your surroundings are getting wet. They will. We tend to stand around amazed that the atmosphere changes whenever a river issues forth. Silliness.

In order to be about His business, we must be focused on our instruction and obedience to it. Our awareness should be a Kingdom awareness, triggered by faith and compassion, but not out of need alone. The door to the miraculous in the Kingdom is not unlocked by need. The woman who touched the hem of Jesus' garment had a need - but 'that' is not why she was healed. She was healed because of her 'faith'. This is not something we detect by looking around - we can only detect faith by looking up.

When Jesus walked around the pool of Bethesda, there was a man there that was healed. However, there were a number of people there who were 'not' healed. We question this continually. Didn't Jesus care about the suffering of the others? The answer lies in what He detected in His Kingdom, not about what He detected in ours. Need alone will not trigger the miraculous. Faith by itself - will. Are there other triggers besides faith? Love, compassion, kindness... now we start to look at the types of fruit the Spirit bears. But notice below... the fruit wasn't for the healing. The leaf was.

Eze 47:12 MKJV
(12) And all trees for food shall go up by the torrent, on its bank on this side, and on that side. Its leaf shall not fade, nor its fruit fail. It will bear by its months, because its waters come out from the sanctuary. And its fruit shall be for food, and its leaf for healing.

So then how do we bear fruit AND leaves for the healing of others?

Psa 1:2-3 MKJV
(2) But his delight is only in the Law of Jehovah; and in His Law he meditates day and night.
(3) And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivulets of water that brings forth its fruit in its seasons, and its leaf shall not wither, and all which he does shall be blessed.

Faith is like a green leaf.

Pro 11:28 ESV
(28) Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf.

Beware of leaves without fruit. This just might be a counterfeit (Mark 11:13). If we wish to see, we must first believe. There is no other way.

Living for Manifestation

Christians in certain circles and with certain backgrounds get a bad rap for seeking the 'manifest' Presence of God. You might hear things like: they just want a sign. Or, they're just thriving on emotionalism!

God's Presence is amazing in all the uncountable ways He may choose to reveal Himself to us. His Presence is something to desire - whether physically manifested or not! But we should not be living for His physical manifestation. We should not allow ourselves to get into a funk whenever He chooses not to blow us away in some manner or another. It just might be that our tendency to fall into depression prevents Him from doing what He would otherwise do.

The problem that I see from most of the critics is that they live lives devoid of the Presence of God, so they attempt to explain away - in any way they can - the power they don't see. Mockery is a typical cover-up. My guess is Elijah experienced some of that.

Picture this: Elijah is weary. He has had a full day. He called fire down from heaven. Then he put to death 400 priests of Baal. He has run up and down Mt. Carmel a few times in a supernatural fervor... and has called in rain upon a parched land. As he slowly walks down the street towards home, some clueless individual yells something like: "Hey Eli! Have you 'seen GOD' lately?" *chuckle chuckle snicker snicker*

Raining on the Just

The scripture says it rains on the just and the unjust alike. Christians use that verse as a crutch to explain away a lot of areas in life that we - as Christians - were responsible for protecting. We fail to act or pray for this or that and as a result, when calamity claims a victim, we just say that it rains on the just and the unjust alike. In the words of Col. Potter, H-O-R-S-E H-O-C-K-E-Y.

There is a reason why that scripture was worded the way it was.
When I was just a baby, I went through some severe storms. My dad kept me safe under a roof, while other babies in our fair city got wet, because their fathers' didn't care enough to provide them shelter. It rains on the just, and the unjust. That's true. But there is still the Father-factor.

Our nation has rejected God, socially and governmentally. As a result, we experience the fallen world without a roof over our heads. It rains on the just, and the unjust. Don't confuse our exposure to the elements with judgment - that is still coming at the end of the age. It is what it is. We're getting wet as a nation. But as a person - I'm dry. My Father shields me from the elements. My house is covered by Him - even if my nation is not. Does that mean bad things don't happen? What it means is that nothing happens that He hasn't already made provision for.

Zealous for God

Num 25:1 MKJV
(1) And Israel lived in Shittim, and the people began to fornicate with the daughters of Moab.
(3) And Israel joined himself to Baal-peor. And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel.
(5) And Moses said to the judges of Israel, Every one of you kill his men who were joined to Baal-peor.
(6) And behold! One of the sons of Israel came and brought to his brothers a woman of Midian, before the eyes of Moses, and before all the congregation of the sons of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
(7) And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation and took a spear in his hand.
(8) And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and pierced both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman, through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the sons of Israel.
(9) And those that died in the plague were twenty-four thousand.
(10) And Jehovah spoke to Moses saying,
(11) Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned My wrath away from the sons of Israel while he was zealous for My sake among them, so that I did not destroy the sons of Israel in My jealousy.

This is an incredible story. It's a story about open rebellion of a people before God. It's a story about God's patience with uncovered sin: not much! It's a story about ZEAL for righteousness.

After reading the passage, I really only wish to point out two things.
1) Before sin was atoned for, we see that God's judgment is severe. But scripture says that when Jesus paid the world's price for sin, God's judgment of it was poured out - totally - upon Him. Sin's price is paid. This was not always so. The 'grace' part of this equation today is that we can go through life without accepting the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf. Judgment again comes - after death (Heb 9:27-28).

2) This is how God defines zeal. Phinehas pinned a man and woman to the turf with a spear. This is an act that most people would find absolutely repulsive. Even the strongest, most determined among us would have great difficulty in doing such a thing. God said it was the right thing. He called it justice. He called it ZEAL. How many of us who have called ourselves zealous Christians really possess the quality that God defines here? Zealous? Really? Are you - really? This isn't about killing people for God! This is about possessing the attitude that God's opinion is the ONLY one that matters. Apply that any way you wish. That's zeal.

Getting Comfortable In The Boat

In scripture, any time you see boat, think also of throne. Think about a boat for a second. It's allows one to be totally isolated - untouchable by everyone else. This is one reason that Jesus found it to be a handy teaching platform. Ephesians tells us that we are seated with God in heavenly places. We also sit with Him on His throne! Only... we aren't comfortable there. Remember the disciples during the storm? They were freaking out while Jesus was sleeping. As children of the King, we need to get comfortable with the throne perspective.

In the Old Testament, what was the word for boat? Noah built one: ark. Then in Exodus, Moses was told to build a box - and it was called the 'Ark'. And upon that ark was a 'mercy seat'. It was were God came down to sit and converse with His priests! Do you see the similarities between the boat and the throne? In case you think this a stretch, many thrones of that day were fashioned in much the same way as the ark - complete with Cherubs! The High Priest was on an island away from the rest of humanity - just like Noah in the flood. The throne is a physical picture of sanctification.

Mat 13:2 ESV
(2) And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach.

Rev 4:6 ESV
(6) and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal. And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind...

What a great teaching platform... a boat! A throne! There are some things that we will NEVER be able to show the world without a heart-knowledge that we sit upon a throne with God.

Eph 2:4-6 ESV
(4) But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,
(5) even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved--
(6) and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

So we are seated with Jesus - on the throne. But also remember that Jesus didn't 'need' the boat. He walked on water! Jesus used that perspective as a tool to reach the lost. We are sanctified, not to lord ourselves over others, but to draw others into a relationship with the One who sanctified us! Think differently!

Opening A Scary Door

It has been in my spirit, lately, to comment on some traps that are very easy to fall into. The last post was about self-promotion. Today let us consider criticism. When someone has fallen, it's incredibly easy to criticize them or demean them in some way.

Paul wrote:
1Co 10:12 MKJV
(12) So let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.

The insinuation is that it's our natural inclination to judge in this way - which is typically 'not' out of love. We assume that we are strong enough or wise enough to overcome that particular spiritual attack when in many instances we have earned no credentials to justify such a claim. The result is that we open a door to be tempted by the same spirit by which our comrade fell. It's then that we find out that withstanding that kind of attack is not as easy as we thought.

I'm not implying that constructive criticism does not have a place. Within the body of Christ, however, all should be done out of love with restoration in mind.

Climbing the Wrong Ladder

If you are stepping on others in order to climb a ladder of self-promotion, then you are forfeiting grace as it would otherwise apply to you in that area of your life. We know that scripture says the Lord promotes a person:

Psa 75:6-7 MKJV
(6) For lifting up comes neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.
(7) But God is the judge; He puts down one and sets up another.

If you climb into a prominent position by illegitimate means, you have not done so by circumventing God's will. You have done so by His allowance, and by your chosen path have removed yourself from the safety net of His grace.

This might be akin to jettisoning the parachute on your dragster in order to lighten your load and to win the race. You cross the finish line first, but then crash and burn because you have no means to stop. Rely on God for promotion - His discretion - His timing - His will.

Room For Expansion

God does not give us all we can handle in most situations. He evaluates our strength, and then gives us a measure of what we can multiply. Here's the example:

Mat 25:15 ESV
(15) To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.

In this parable, the master gave a certain amount of money to each of his servants. He didn't give each all they could be trusted with. That's a misconception. He gave to each knowing that they 'should' multiply what they were given. The fact is, the master knew that they should be able to be trusted with 'much more' than they currently had.

You don't give an irresponsible teenager a broken down muscle car and a book on car repair. The teenager would not be able to handle the 'profit' of rebuilding a corvette. It might kill him.

We are each given a measure to invest in the Kingdom. In every case, we are expected to multiply - profit - expand. It's those of us who do nothing (bury our talents) that fail the test. There's a scary end to that servant - he loses everything. The master calls one like this 'wicked'.

Opportunities May Knock

Pro 4:3-5 ESV
(3) When I was a son with my father, tender, the only one in the sight of my mother,
(4) he taught me and said to me, "Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments, and live.
(5) Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.

Who wrote this passage? Solomon. Is it ironic that David instructed Solomon in his youth to pursue wisdom? Solomon was prepared, should the opportunity ever arise, to make a wise choice. God gave him the opportunity because he was prepared for it.

Prepare yourself for the opportunities you'd like to see come your way. If you're prepared for nothing, expect to see it.

Abundant Life

Joh 10:10 MKJV
(10) The thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come so that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

People seeking the abundant life might be under the impression that once you receive Jesus, that life never has difficulties, or trials, or fill in the blank, because now you have received the 'abundant' life. The truth of the matter is quite the opposite. You still have the same trials and tribulations. However, the abundant life affords you the answer before the problem ever presents itself. God will never send you into a battle that you are not equipped to win.

The Prince of Peace

You're in a war. There are bombs exploding around you. People are dying. The screams of anguish are piercing your heart and it is all you can do to keep from panicking and running. And people are... they are running. They are losing hope.

Then you look up and your general is standing there. He's unshaken. His gaze is determined, despite the bullets whizzing past his head. He looks at you and motions for you to follow him. Who do you follow? Those who are screaming madly and heading for the hills? Or do you set out after the one who seems to have a plan?

Jesus is called the Prince of Peace in scripture. I've always thought that was a reference to the peace He would institute once His reign became manifested on earth. That's true enough.

However, Jesus was unflappable. He slept through the storms. There was not one HINT of panic in the man, even to the point of execution. He had peace. That's why He is the general. That's why if we carry the Holy Spirit as He did, we, too, can have peace in the storm. He is the Prince of Peace!

A Generation Without Fear

Many people do not mind war as long as it's not on their own doorstep. This applies to spiritual warfare, too. With greater anointing comes greater attacks. God is looking for a people who do not care when or where the enemy comes. They don't fear. They simply take care of business.

Remember, the key to dealing with the enemy is realizing that he is already a defeated foe. All he does is done out of desperation. Do not make him bigger than he is. If you are a spirit-filled Christian, there is no power greater than the power within you. The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. We all can wield this. The enemy is yet to find a defense against it.

The final generation - the Elijah generation that sees in the return of Jesus - is a generation that calls fire down, destroys the flesh, and all in the 400-fold presence of the enemy. Fear will not prevail over them.

Knowing God

Joh 21:25 MKJV
(25) And there are also many things, whatever Jesus did, which, if they should be written singly, I suppose the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.

Many walk around and claim to know God, but all they have is a hefty head-knowledge of the Bible. Remember the Pharisees and teachers of the law - they knew the scriptures by heart, yet Jesus told them if they knew the Father, they'd know Him, too! For this they tried to kill him on many occasions.

The Bible is a great book, and is the Word of God. It's authored by Him and preserved by Him. However, the Bible's purpose is to get you into a relationship with the Author.

So you've memorized the Bible. Awesome. How does it feel to know that the world can't hold enough books to describe all that Jesus did in 3.5 years of ministry? I'm not trying to discourage memorizing scripture, but if this is your thermometer for 'knowing God', you're still cold.

You must know Him at a personal level. You must live by His Spirit. This is the only way to live a relevant life.

Light

Gen 1:16-17 MKJV
(16) And God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day and the smaller light to rule the night, and the stars also.
(17) And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth,

When God created the heavens and the earth, He set over the earth two great lights - the sun and the moon. He did this to set rulership over day and night, and to cause division between day and night.

Notice - two lights have dominion over light and darkness. The sun has dominion over the day, while the moon has dominion over the night.

The greater light does not rule over the lesser light. They co-labor - together. Together, they rule over light and darkness.

Mat 4:16 The people who sat in darkness saw a great Light; and Light has sprung up to those who sat in the region and shadow of death."

Joh 12:35 Then Jesus said to them, Yet a little while the Light is with you. Walk while you have the Light, lest darkness come upon you. For he who walks in darkness does not know where he goes.

In scripture, the moon is symbolic of the Church. The Church is the lesser light, but one that co-labors in dominion of light and darkness. The Church should be simply a reflection of the Son.

Are you getting this? Can you see the genius of the Creator here? Have you ever seen both the sun and the moon in the same sky? Yes, of course! How long does that last? Maybe a few minutes? How long did Jesus stay with His newly formed Church? Maybe a few minutes in the broad scheme of things?

Before He left, He told His disciples:
Mat 5:14 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
Mat 5:16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven.

Joh 9:5 As long as I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.

The sun has gone down, but the moon is out! There is enough light to walk, but you have to walk a little more carefully. For those of you who have an interest in the eschatological, read carefully:

Mat 24:29 And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from the heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.

Mar 13:24 MKJV
(24) But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,

Yes, there is coming a time when neither the light of the Son or the light of the Church will be seen, because both will be hidden. I'll let you all draw your own conclusions about that.

What Are You Known For?

My pastor says we must be known by our fruit, not our intentions. Do you know people who always mean well, but...? When taking inventory, have we been fruit producers? Jesus said the world would know us by the fruit we produce.

Matthew 12:33 MKJV
(33) Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree corrupt and its fruit corrupt; for the tree is known by its fruit.

What does inventory reveal? Is there 'anything' growing? Blooms? If there is fruit, is it the good kind, or the corrupt kind? You can always tell when people around you leave feeling a little more full, or a little sicker. Good fruit draws a crowd. Bad fruit draws flies.

A Simple Truth

No matter what problem you are facing; no matter what storm you are caught in; no matter how lifeless everything seems, there is one answer: more of God. If you don't think He has an interest in your situation - even if you think it petty - then you don't know Him very well. He is wanting to surprise you. Relationship going sour? More of Him... Health issues battering you continually? More of Him... Does the job just stink? More of Him. Maybe today is the day that you determine to seek Him out for the first time. He knows how to reveal Himself to those who seek Him. But chances are - if you don't seek, you will NEVER find.

All Things New Pt2

As mentioned yesterday, God will not pour something new into an old container. In order to do a new thing, God's pattern is to build it, then move into it. For this last-days move of God, He is building something, but first His foundation must be in place.

Sometimes we ask the question, why wasn't somebody healed after we prayed for healing, especially from leaders of the church. A very well-known church leader routinely experiences healing and great miracles in his church. However, when his father contracted cancer, healing never came and his father passed away. This man's faith remains resolute, and to this day he sees more people healed in his church than perhaps anywhere else.

In the Kingdom, a solid foundation is a people who may experience 'apparently' unanswered prayer, or undesired outcomes, yet still hold faithfully to the belief that God is good and that sickness is not. These people (pillars) are especially visible, and when they hold fast, every one's faith increases. This will give God what He needs to build the final work of this age, a people who do not waver at unexpected outcomes. When we all possess the faith that God is good, and that His Kingdom will trump all else, then we will all experience a greater anointing and confidence to successfully see the Kingdom come on earth - as it is in heaven. But to get to this point... faith must be tested - if not in God's eyes, then in our own eyes.

All Things New Pt1

God's desire is to make all things new. New wine will not fit in the old wineskin. Just as such, nothing new from God will fit into the old container. When you received His spirit, you were 'made new'. Or perhaps when we were made new, His Spirit then came in.

2Co 5:17 MKJV
(17) So that if any one is in Christ, that one is a new creature; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Have we ever tried to explain things of God to someone who does not believe? They physically cannot contain the revelation. But when presented with the things of God, they are either drawn, or repulsed. Either way, a shaking of their minds and hearts occurs. They fight, they squirm, they get very uncomfortable. These are the 'birth pains' of a new believer. Then, a new creature is born. The earth behaves no differently. That which is truly new from God in the coming age will also require a new heaven and a new earth to contain it. As we approach the dawning of a new age, the earth shakes and travails.

Rev 21:1-5 MKJV
(1) And I saw a new heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. And the sea no longer is.
(4) And God will wipe away all tears from their eyes. And there will be no more death, nor mourning, nor crying out, nor will there be any more pain; for the first things passed away.
(5) And He sitting on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said to me, Write, for these words are true and faithful.

Are you stagnating in your faith? Is anything or anyone moving you? Invite God to shake you.

All Glorified God

Act 4:21 MKJV
(21) So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way as to how they might punish them, because of the people. For all glorified God for that which was done.

After Peter and John healed the man at the Gate Beautiful, quite a crowd gathered. Peter announced that it was the power of Jesus, who was crucified but raised from the dead to the right hand of God, that had healed this man.

Peter and John were not arrogant. The 'power' had not gone to their head. It's a false argument to think that this is always a side-effect of walking in the miraculous. It is not intended to bring attention or fame to the God-man or God-woman. A miracle is intended to do exactly what it did in that instance: bring glory to God. All glorified God.

It's imperative that we who wish to walk in the miraculous 'get over' what people might think about doing what the Spirit calls us to do. Don't even weigh it. If He says say it, say it. If He says do it, do it - and do it without worrying about explaining yourself. When Jesus started slapping mud on the blind man's eyes, what we did not get was a dissertation on 'why'. Jesus was peculiar. If we look like Him, we are going to look a bit peculiar as well.

Pre-Christianity Fail

Often I hear people talking about pre-Christianity. Typically they are referring to writings or traditions that 'supposedly' date to times before Jesus, and yes... much was written before 1 a.d. However, John the apostle wrote:

Joh 1:1 ESV
(1) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

When we realize that Jesus IS the Word, and in the beginning was the Word, it's difficult to date any of your stuff prior to that point. This was a sticky point even to the Jews of Jesus' time, to which Jesus stated:

Joh 5:39 ESV
(39) You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me,

When speaking to His followers on the Road to Emmaus, Jesus showed them how He had been the one that all of scripture had been written about.

Luk 24:27 ESV
(27) And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

Some would argue that even the writings of Moses were pre-dated by other writings. These same people first argued that Moses could not have written what he wrote because there was no established written language during his time. Once science disproved this, they adopted the idea that older writings existed. Perhaps.

But since we are limited to what we have faith in - what we believe - then I must state that I do not believe there is 'anything' that pre-dates Christianity. Jesus was the anointed one, and He was there in the 'beginning'. Gen 1:1 says "In the beginning, God..." Why is God plural?

Waiting On God

1Sa 16:11-13 ESV
(11) Then Samuel said to Jesse, "Are all your sons here?" And he said, "There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep." And Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here."
(12) And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the LORD said, "Arise, anoint him, for this is he."
(13) Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.

This was the point where David was anointed King of Israel by Samuel the prophet. Saul, the current king, had disobeyed God and had turned his heart from God, so God took his anointing from Saul.

Here's the question: what did David do after Samuel left?
Here's the answer: he went back to tending his sheep.

It was literally years before David sat upon the throne of Israel, even though God had chosen him for the job. Saul continued to reign - ineffectively - chasing David because of jealousy and satisfying the demands of his own ego.

Do you sense God calling you to something? Something big? Are you ready to step into it, or is there a spiritual training camp you need to attend? Don't step into anything until God says you're ready - even if you know He has called you. Make sure, above all, that you have been walking under God's authority, which typically starts by placing yourself under the mentor-ship of someone in your church! If you cannot submit to authority, you will never be placed in authority.

Don't Agree With the Devil

1Sa 27:1 ESV
(1) Then David said in his heart, "Now I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of seeking me any longer within the borders of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand."

If you read the story of David, especially in the early going up until this passage, you will notice that there is nothing but David's faith and God's deliverance. David's faith.... God's deliverance... and the promises of God to establish David as king of Israel. This was all a done deal. Saul was bi-polar. He was hurling javelins at David one minute, crying and begging for forgiveness the next. Through all of this, David kept his eyes on God and God delivered.

But David grew tired of running. With fatigue comes weakness of spirit, and that's when the enemy whispers in our ear the loudest. David said in his heart, "One of these days, Saul is going to kill me." The devil finally got a public declaration out of David - an agreement, and even though this declaration never came to pass, it had quite the effect on him.

He moved in with the Philistines. He moved to Gath - the very place Goliath lived because he knew Saul would not follow him into enemy territory. How popular could David have been? He'd killed the most famous person to ever come from Gath. From this action, a number of near-disastrous events occurred. However, God faithfully continued to deliver David.

Take comfort that even the greatest men of the Bible were beaten down from time to time. They, too, made silly decisions at times. But God never let them down. Lean on the promises of God in your life. What are they? Recite them. When you're beaten down, immerse yourself in His Word. When we can hear Him, then we can't hear the enemy.

Stepping Into The Prophetic

Regarding prophecies, there are a couple of types that come to mind. There is that which is fore-ordained. God has said it, and He will not 'repent' of it, therefore it WILL be. Bank on it. If we read Revelation, we see a solid twenty two chapters of that which will be, period. There is nothing that can happen that will prevent Jesus Christ from accepting the deed to the creation He has purchased. We will rule and reign with Him. There will be great tribulation on the earth. You get the point.

However, when you have a word prophesied over you, realize that you must step into it. Many of the prophecies in the Old Testament were given as a warning to Israel. Rarely were the prophets popular for this reason. Literally, the word to Israel was often 'turn or burn'. Sometimes they turned. Sometimes they burned. But as a people they stepped into the prophetic. They had a say.

1Sa 23:10-14 LITV
(10) And David said, O Jehovah the God of Israel, Your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah to destroy the city because of me.
(11) Will the masters of Keilah shut me up into his hand? Will Saul come down as Your servant has heard? I pray You, Jehovah the God of Israel, tell your servant. And Jehovah said, He will come down.
(12) And David said, Will the masters of Keilah shut me and my men up into Saul's hand? And Jehovah said, They will shut you up.
(13) And David and his men, about six hundred men, rose up and left Keilah, and went wherever they could go. And it was told to Saul that David had escaped from Keilah. And he ceased to go out.
(14) And David stayed in the wilderness, in the strongholds. And he stayed in the hill, in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him all his days. And God did not give him into his hand.

In this example, the very word from God was: The citizens will give you over to your enemy, Saul. It was prophesied by God. David could have stepped into this, but heeding the word of God, he chose to run to the desert, and nothing prophesied came to pass.

If it has been prophesied in your life that you will be a great man or woman of God, and that you will lead many to Jesus, you need to understand that this will not come to pass in front of your PlayStation. It's difficult to reach people for the Kingdom if you invest nothing in the Kingdom. We must press in. We must be serious. We must be zealous. We must be intentional.

Divine Captivity

Joh 21:18 LITV
(18) Truly, truly, I say to you, When you were younger, you girded yourself, and you walked where you desired. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you, and will carry you where you do not desire.

Jesus broke this oar over Peter's head on the day He restored fellowship with him. Peter had gone back to fishing, and Jesus came along, made him lunch, and asked Peter if he still loved Him, to which Peter replied, "Lord, you know I still love you." Jesus then says, "Then feed my sheep." After this statement, Jesus tells Peter how he will die - by stretching out his hands in crucifixion. This is seemingly out of place.

In the verse after, Jesus simply says, "Follow me."

"Lord, you know I love you."
"Peter, feed my sheep. You used to have a choice, but now you won't. Just follow me."

People often wonder about the angels and the choice they had to follow God. Was grace presented to them? What was their decision process like? How was it presented? We don't know, but we now know that they no longer have a choice.

There comes a time in a believer's life when the Holy Spirit girds him and carries him 'where he would not otherwise be inclined to go'. This is the meaning of the phrase in the Greek. It's like divine captivity - truly it is just that. Thank God certain things are no longer options in my life. I have no doubt that as I mature in the spirit, other things will no longer be options, either.

So in heaven, will we no longer have free will? Yes, absolutely! But some things will not be an option. If this makes no sense, good! That's how we know it's true.

Where the Enemy Walks

1 Timothy 4:1-5 MKJV
(1) But the Spirit expressly says that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and teachings of demons,
(2) speaking lies in hypocrisy, being seared in their own conscience,
(3) forbidding to marry, saying to abstain from foods which God has created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
(4) For every creation of God is good, and nothing to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving.
(5) For it is sanctified through the Word of God and prayer.

Did you know that demons teach? Isn't that an interesting verse? If you were a demon (stretch here) what would you teach? What kind of people would you target? Would they be people of influence or common folk? Do you think they would get into the political affairs of men, or perhaps sit in the elementary classrooms of our children? Maybe both...

The Spirit expressly says that in the last days, some shall depart from the FAITH. Aha! So we at least know the demons are teaching in the 'church' arena. They are working to destroy the testimonies and faith of believers, or at least people who claimed at one time to believe. If there were a demon at work in your church, what kind of mischief would he create? Internal strife? Jealousy? Unforgiveness amongst the brethren? Unbelief?

Pray that God's light would shine in your church over the dark places. Yes, the enemy can stand a lot more scripture reading and praise music than a lot of Christians think. But what he cannot stand is the Presence of God. What he cannot tolerate is Love. Truth sickens and infuriates him. Make sure your church is saturated with these.

Playing It Safe

1 Samuel 22:5 MKJV
(5) And the prophet Gad said to David, Do not stay in the stronghold. Leave and go into the land of Judah. And David left and came into the forest of Hareth.

When David was on the run from Saul, he left the cave of Adullam and went to Moab, seeking shelter from the king. God sent His prophet, Gad, to tell David to move on.

There are safe places for us to stay - thankfully - where we can rest spiritually, physically, and emotionally. In the embrace of our church family is such a stronghold. However, it's very easy to live within the confines of the church walls and never stray outside. We get complacent. Our Christian walk is only on sanctuary carpet. If this has been your walk, God says it's time to move on. Yes, there are risks outside, but with no risk there is no reward. God's plan for us rarely involves us being stagnant. His kingdom is constantly moving forward. Are we moving forward with it?

That Which Is Hidden...

Luke 8:17 HNV
(17) For nothing is hidden, that will not be revealed; nor anything secret, that will not be known and come to light.

It can be difficult to get away from the obvious implication of this verse. The first thing that comes to mind is all the things I don't want revealed in my own life. It's a scary verse if we harbor sin, or guilt, or embarrassment (things Christians should have given away long ago). But what about hidden talent? Hidden skills? Hidden resources? Hidden or missed opportunities?

What about knowledge and mysteries - good things?

Luke 10:21 HNV
(21) In that same hour Yeshua rejoiced in the Holy Spirit, and said, "I thank you, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for so it was well-pleasing in your sight."

What about the Living Word Himself - Messiah?

Colossians 1:26-27 HNV
(26) the mystery which has been hidden for ages and generations. But now it has been revealed to his holy ones,
(27) to whom God was pleased to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Messiah in you, the hope of glory;

That which is spiritual must also be signified in the physical. There must be a physical representation of this in God's creation.

Genesis 1:10-11 HNV
(10) God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters he called Seas. God saw that it was good.
(11) God said, "Let the earth put forth grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit after their kind, with its seed in it, on the earth;" and it was so.

Sure enough - once the waters were gathered together, the land which had hidden seed was immediately able to bear fruit. The earth 'put forth' grass - from seed that was hidden.

When a mother is about to give birth, what always happens before that which was hidden - the baby - is revealed? The 'water' breaks.

Romans 8:19 LITV
(19) For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly awaits the revelation of the sons of God.

I suggest to you that it will take the waters of the Holy Spirit, breaking over 'all flesh', that will reveal the Sons of God.

Walking Under The Anointing

1Sa 14:6-7 LITV
(6) And Jonathan said to the young man bearing his weapons, Come, we shall cross over to the fort of these uncircumcised ones. It may be Jehovah will work for us, for there is no hindrance to Jehovah, to save by many or by few.
(7) And his armorbearer said to him, Do all that is in your heart; turn yourself. Behold, I am with you according to your heart.

1Sa 14:23 LITV
(23) And Jehovah saved Israel that day. And the battle passed over to Beth-aven.

Between verse 6 and verse 23, amazing and miraculous things happened. Check out this story! Notice, though, that the Lord saved Israel in one day because of a chain of events that started by one man of faith who pressed against the enemy. Jonathan, the king's son and (supposedly) heir to the throne lived a life of risk because he knew that God could save 'by many or by few'. Wow! God loves those who tackle the miraculous. If our walk doesn't require faith, we live a powerless life. Jonathan's walk was 'ridiculous'! But what was Israel saved from? Exactly what happened because of one man's faith? To answer that, we go one chapter back and take an objective view of the enemy that had formed against Israel:

1Sa 13:5 LITV
(5) And the Philistines gathered to fight with Israel, with thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the lip of the sea for multitude. And they came up and pitched in Michmash, east of Beth-aven.

Formidable, yes, to the human eye. To God, however, the overwhelming odds against us don't amount to much. The rule Jonathan lived by was one that Samuel presented his father, Saul, just a few years prior. It was this:

1Sa 10:7 LITV
(7) And it will be, when these signs come to you, do for yourself what your hand finds, for God is with you.


We who are called according to God's purpose have an anointing to serve and to be ministers of God. If we are attached to the 'body', then we MUST have an anointing, because Christ means 'anointed one', and HE is the HEAD. All the oil (anointing) poured upon the head must flow down - therefore the body is anointed always. The question I hear is... anointed to do what? The answer is:

Do as your hand shall find; for God is with you.

Attack In Faith

1Sa 13:2-5 JPS
(2) And Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmas and in the mount of Beth- el, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeath-benjamin; and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent.
(3) And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the horn throughout all the land, saying: 'Let the Hebrews hear.'
(4) And all Israel heard say that Saul had smitten the garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel also had made himself odious with the Philistines. And the people were gathered together after Saul to Gilgal.
(5) And the Philistines assembled themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea-shore in multitude; and they came up, and pitched in Michmas, eastward of Beth-aven.



Pressing into the Kingdom of God is a job for 'violent' men and women (Matt 11:12). What we find when we become active in 'pressing' is that we upset the powers of the enemy. We become targets. Saul and Jonathan learned this the hard way, as they became 'odious with the Philistines'. Jonathan was a man of faith that 'pressed' by faith. As a result, Jonathan was victorious in his battles, but really ticked off the enemy! Saul never proved to be much of a man of faith. He relied more upon numbers and the backing of his people and his prophet, Samuel. This reliance upon flesh never panned out for Saul. Rather, it cost him absolutely everything.

We can know that in these days, we are to be acting more like Jonathan. Attack in faith and expect victory. Also expect the enemy to gather against us, but realize no enemy can overcome the people of God, for no weapon formed against us shall prosper.

Prophecy in Hannah's Prayer

1Sa 2:1-10 MKJV
(1) And Hannah prayed and said, My heart rejoices in Jehovah, my horn is exalted in Jehovah. My mouth is enlarged over my enemies because I rejoice in Your salvation.
(2) There is none holy as Jehovah, for there is none beside You. Neither is there any rock like our God.
(3) Talk no more so very proudly. Remove arrogance out of your mouth, for Jehovah is a God of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed.
(4) The bows of the mighty are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.
(5) They that were full have hired themselves out for bread, and they that were hungry ceased; yea, while the barren has borne seven, and she who had many sons has languished.
(6) Jehovah kills and makes alive. He brings down to Sheol, and brings up.
(7) Jehovah takes away, and He gives riches; He brings low; yea, He lifts up high.
(8) He raises up the poor out of the dust; He lifts up the needy from the dunghill to set them among princes; yea, He causes them to inherit a throne of honor; for to Jehovah are the pillars of the earth; and He sets the habitable world on them.
(9) He keeps the feet of his saints, and the wicked are silenced in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.
(10) The foes of Jehovah shall be broken to pieces. He thunders in the heavens upon them. Jehovah shall judge the ends of the earth. And He shall give strength to His king, and exalts the horn of His anointed.

If you will remove the first five words of this passage, you would have trouble telling it apart from something David, or Solomon, or even Paul wrote. This is a clue that we are seeing a style of the Holy Spirit. I like to call it His signature. The preceding chapter details Hannah's plea to God for a son, and how God answered her by sending Samuel. This passage is one of gratitude to God for answered prayer. But what do we not see?

"Thank you for my son. Thank you for my son! Thank you thank you thank you for sending my Samuel!"

Instead, we see a Psalm of praise, and when we examine it, we find some fascinating things.

• Verse 1: "I rejoice in Your salvation." The Hebrew word for salvation is "Yeshua", or "Jesus" in English.
• Verse 5: The barren has borne seven; this is a picture of one who could not have children (barren) miraculously bearing seven (perfection). I see the virgin birth in this.
• Verse 6: Jehovah kills and makes alive. Who did Jehovah kill and make alive again? Jesus! "He brings down to Sheol, and brings up." Again, this is Jesus.
• Verse 7: He brings low; yea, He lifts up high. This is a picture of the life of Jesus, living as a suffering servant, but elevated to the right hand of the Father.
• Verse 10: "He shall give strength to His king, and exalts the horn of His anointed (Christ)." This is also a reference to Jesus, "His King and His Anointed One."

There is so much else in this passage, but that the Spirit screamed praise to God through Jesus even in the time of Samuel's birth is an amazing thing.

The Price of Crowning Our Own King

1Sa 8:11-18 MKJV
(11) And he said, This will be the privilege of the king who shall reign over you. He shall take your sons and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and his horsemen. And they shall run before his chariots.
(12) And he will appoint commanders over thousands, and commanders over fifties, and some to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and make his weapons of war and weapons for his chariots.
(13) And he will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.
(14) And he will take your fields and your vineyards and your olive-yards, the best, and give them to his servants.
(15) And he will take the tenth of your seed and of your vineyards, and give it to his eunuchs and to his servants.
(16) And he will take your male slaves and your slave girls, and your finest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.
(17) He will take the tenth of your sheep, and you shall be his servants.
(18) And you shall cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and Jehovah will not answer you in that day.

Life is a never-ending struggle. If it's not relationships, it's health. If not health, it's finances. It's work, it's school, it's growing pains, it's aging. These are the components that are seen, but behind it all is a spiritual war that continually wages. Satan hates everyone and is bent on doing what he does: stealing, killing, and destroying. In this war, there is no neutral. To claim neutrality is to rebel against God. We are instructed to choose a side. (Joshua 24:15) God cannot stand spiritual neutrality. (Rev 3:15-16)

For all of this, we cast a vote for a king; either we opt for God and He alone, or we cast our allegiance to the king of this world, the devil. There are some things we should understand about casting our vote for the enemy which we can learn from the passage above.

• Our children will be consumed by the war effort. Some will fight, and some will work, but they will be taken without a choice. (vs 11-13) Remember, they will be fighting a war that they have already lost, and they will not survive it.
• Our fields, vineyards, and orchards represent our fruitfulness. All we produce will go to the enemy, adding up to nothing in the scope of eternity. (vs 14)
• Many avoid serving God because they believe He wants a tenth of all they have. The bad news is that what could be voluntarily given will be taken by force; one tenth of what we have to sow, and one tenth of what we've already grown. (vs 15)
• Anything and everything we have that makes life easier goes to the enemy. All our resources become his. (vs 16)
• All of our livestock, which represents our 'sacrifice', goes to the enemy, while we ourselves enter servitude. (vs 17)
• By the time you realize your mistake, it will be too late. (vs 18)

We should definitely choose our king wisely.

A God Encounter of the Closest Kind

I've often caught myself praying for an encounter with God that might sound something like this: God, just let me feel your touch tonight. Let me sense your Presence.

God answers this prayer to varying degrees - often. I recently had an experience that was of the closest kind. It was at a very stressful time, and He decided it was time to grant my request in a different way. It was by a vision - and it was very personal. Needless to say, He taught me much during that time, but my eyes opened to a very important fact.

The flesh cannot withstand the Spirit of God.

During this time, I cried and shook and basically was a mental mess. Some in my family thought I was having a breakdown. But spiritually, I was high. It's incredibly hard to explain what happened and I wouldn't try to write down what I saw. When the encounter was over, however, I was spiritually numb for a number of days. Useless - in many ways... maybe most ways. I'd walk around thinking about what I learned, but unable to articulate it or even translate it.

That taught me that despite my desire to be in the presence of God - physically - He is kind enough to give me only what I'm able to handle without breaking me down for an extended period of time. This was a strange circumstance, and He gave me more than I've ever experienced before, and I paid a price for it. I'd gladly pay it again and I expect to, but He doesn't always give me what I ask, purposefully.

These are the days when God is pouring out His Spirit upon all flesh. Many are experiencing Him in new and wonderful ways. My prayer is that all the blog readers do just that. Blessings.

You Cannot Disappoint God

Disappointing God is one of the main struggles we take on in our Christian walk. The problem with it is that it's a contrived struggle. The enemy constantly whispers in our ear insinuations that we have disappointed God. As our pastor so adequately explains, in order for you to disappoint God means God had an expectation of you that you didn't meet. God knew what you were going to do before He created you - and yet He did it anyways. He has no expectation of you. He knows. Therefore, it's impossible for you to disappoint Him. Quit listening to the enemy - he's just lying, as always.

God is not interested in what you did! But, He is very interested in what you are doing now, and what you will be doing, because He's intent upon making you more and more into the likeness of Jesus. As for all the bad stuff... He paid the price for it. As for all the good things you think you've done, get over those, too. There is only one thing we should have in mind: God, what do you have in mind for me right now? Where do I go? What do I do? To whom to I speak? Right now. Let the prophetic word in your life arm you and mentally prepare you for your destiny. But do not let your past distract you. It's gone.

Yes, but all that bad stuff in my past is now my testimony! No... where you are going is your testimony. Look at Jesus for a minute. How much bad stuff did He have in His past? Did He have a testimony?

This is why prophecy is so important. It's a right-now word about where you will be in the future. Now, and future.

Rev 19:10 MKJV
(10) And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said to me, See, do not do it! I am your fellow servant, and of your brothers who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God, for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

This is hard to wrap your mind around at first. If you like things broken down, here it is:
If you belong to Jesus, know that all of your failures are paid for. Don't dwell on them - He isn't.
It's not about where you've been, but where you're going.
The enemy will milk your failures for all they're worth - only as long as you let him.
Press forward. (Philippians 3:13)

Why Do Spirits War?

Dan 10:12-13 MKJV
(12) Then he said to me, Do not fear, Daniel; for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and to chasten yourself before your God, your words were heard. And I have come for your words.
(13) But the ruler of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days. But lo, Michael, one of the chief rulers, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.

We often use the term 'spiritual warfare', especially as it pertains to spiritual attacks upon us in the physical. However, there is a spiritual war going on in the heavens at all times which can consist of large scale conflict (Rev 12:7) to small battles for spiritual supremacy. When we consider spiritual warfare, the question arises, why do spirits war? What do eternal beings have to gain by warring? I've alluded to the answer already - spiritual supremacy - over certain people, lands, or movements.

In Daniel's dialog with Gabriel, one of God's messengers, we learn a lot about spiritual warfare. First of all, Daniel's prayer had been heard from day one, but his answer was 'spiritually delayed', for nearly 3 weeks. This should give us some insight into our prayer life. Nothing can hinder your prayer to God, but depending on how God chooses to answer you - the answer might be delayed by warfare.

Spirits in high places - principalities (Eph 6:12) - are spirits that maintain a hierarchical position. They do not wish to give up their positions any more than you care to step down the ladder at your job. In the case of Daniel, Gabriel was detained by the Prince of Persia, a prince-demonic spirit that led the nation of Persia against Babylon. Michael is referred to as a 'chief ruler' and is also identified as the 'Prince of Israel' in Daniel 10:21.

These clues lead us to believe that every dominant nation on earth is somehow ruled or otherwise controlled by a ruling spirit, either of God or not. What happened to the Prince of Persia? Certainly it was not destroyed - as spirits cannot be killed. But the seat in which he sits can be removed, as Persia eventually was overtaken by the Prince of Greece (Dan 10:20) and the Persian Empire dwindled to nothing for an age while Greece rose to power.

Once again, though, the Persian - or Iranian - empire is a world force for evil. The ruling spirit has fought back to his seat of power over the last 2000 years. The Prince of Greece is nowhere to be seen. Michael the Archangel, the protector of Israel, is still the chief ruler by heaven's decree, and Israel is 'still' not to be trifled with. It should also be mentioned that the enemy is notoriously unable to be unified in anything. The ruler of Persia was overcome by the ruler of Greece - both evil. Hamas hates the Palestinian Authority. The Shiite belief system abhors the Sunni belief system. One sect hates another. Even though the enemy can unite long enough to attack, he cannot sustain long-term unity. The scripture says that the final world empire will be one of 'iron and clay', two substances that cannot combine to create any 'real' strength. This is the character of our enemy.

On a smaller level, demonic forces desire to rule over areas of our lives. Truly, without a physical body to do the work of the enemy, the enemy can whine and complain at best. It's when a person yields to the will of the enemy in their lives that we see the horrific results; the Fox News headlines.

When Your Father Asks "What's Wrong?"

So many times, the simple question, "What's Wrong?" is rhetorical. When my own child is crying, most of the time I already know why. Sometimes I just witnessed the crash landing, or the ill treatment from sis, or the fright from the cat. So when the tears start, I pick her up and ask "What's wrong?".

The question is really meant to start a self-examination; inventory, if you will. Do you ever sense that from God? There are times I find myself really struggling through a day or a week... or a month (*sighs*) but I hear a small voice that says, "What's wrong?". That really helps me! Because after I do the inventory, I realize that truthfully, most everything is okay. Yes, things have been rough but they're getting better. Yes, I've been feeling bad but I'm feeling better.

A good friend of mine left me a voice mail today. He and I have not chatted directly in at least a few weeks, but since we are spiritually connected, we've sensed each others' struggles. He said this: all that stuff you've been going through... it's just stuff!

Yes! It is! It's just stuff! The enemy is trying to cloud us up so that we can't see God move, but it's just stuff! It's the best the enemy can do. Applaud. So what's wrong?

Manna, It's Not Just For Breakfast Anymore

In the time of Moses, the people of Israel were freed from the bondage of slavery in Egypt. In their transition to the Promised Land, they took an unintended camping trip in the desert that lasted for 40 'extra' years. During this time, God provided their every need. Part of that provision was manna, the bread from heaven. The Israelites collected it every morning - enough for only that day or at most, two days, to last through the Sabbath.

We have all heard many messages about manna, the goodness of God, and how we should strive to 'gather' Him each morning, because He is enough. Truly - He is.

I'd like to share a different angle. The manna that was given was given to a people who were largely rebellious at the time. They didn't understand gratitude or worship. They didn't like the manna they were given, but they collected it or went hungry. Manna was not for a Promised Land people. The best of the land, on the other hand, was.

I sure would like to try some manna. My guess is that I would like it. My other guess is that I'd be sick of it by the end of two weeks. I can't even eat leftovers very often. Sad... yes. But then again, I'm not a desert dweller. I'm a Promised Land guy. Doing my best to not complain, but to host the Spirit of God, He has not made me gather 'just enough' manna for today in... maybe forever. The Promised Land is Kingdom living... and it's a life of excess. My cup overflows.

Adam and Eve got up in the garden every morning and did what? Did they immediately seek out God in hopes of getting their fill for the day? Or did they go about their business, KNOWING that at some point during the day, they were going to have a God-Encounter! Which way would you rather live? Remember, the Kingdom life is a life of restoration - on earth as it is in Heaven. God is not coming back to restore 'just enough' for today. He is coming back to restore all of Him you want - all the time. I'm not knocking manna-gathering... but there is more if you want it, assuming you aren't wandering around in the desert.

Fish and Chips

God loves fish. He uses it constantly in scripture to reveal His Kingdom. People were catching fish, eating fish, or being eaten by fish (Jonah). So what is the deal with fish?

Remember, the world was first judged by God with a flood. Who survived? Noah, his family, a few animals, and a whole BUNCH of fish. Fish can survive where other flesh cannot. They represent spirit-filled people dwelling in a different landscape than any other creation.

So lets talk creation for a moment? Who was made in the image of God? Man ('adam', in the Hebrew). God said that man was made in HIS image. What else did God say about images? He said DON'T MAKE ANY, either carved, graven, molten, out of playdough, wax, or paper mache. Yes, but that was in the time of Moses. Oh yeah. Correct. Yes.

Let a few years pass and we see Jesus walking the earth. The Son of God - in the flesh! He gets asked one of those hard questions:

Mat 22:17 MKJV
(17) Therefore tell us; what do you think? Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar or not?

To this... Jesus decides He really didn't want to spend much time answering their "trick" question, so He simply asked for a coin. He held the coin to their face and asked them whose inscription was on it. THIS is strange. The Law - given by God - prohibited a graven image to be made, and here is God in the flesh holding one of these images in the face of unbelievers. Imagine the scene! "Whose inscription is this?"

Jesus did not say, "Who created this VILE image!! This is an abomination!!!!" Perhaps He thought it... but this is not what He said.

The answer was short. "Caesar's." To which Jesus replies... "Oh... must be his, then." And He flips the coin back to them and they walk away - quickly.

It was a subtle truth. You belong to HIM whose image you bear.

Did you hear that? You BELONG to HIM whose image you bear. If there were ever any doubt, let there be no more. You were created for God, and for no other.

So what about the fish??? So... what?

When it came to be tax time, Peter says to Jesus, "Uh... Teacher, we need some money." To which Jesus said, "Go fishing." Peter, a fisherman by trade but now a 'fisher-of-men' had little trouble with the instructions. He went and caught a fish, which strangely had enough money in its mouth to cover both Peter and Jesus.

The picture is of sovereignty. Man over-stepped his bounds by making a coin in his own image. God says... okay... the coin is yours, but the fish is going to cough that up. That's God's way of saying, "There is really nothing you can make in your image that my children don't already own!" The spirit-filled man, or the Kingdom man (fish) can cough up the worldly requirements of mankind on a moment's notice because the provision of God is endless. Ask Jonah what trumps what - the vain intentions of man or the Kingdom purpose of God?

Look Out!

This is a word from my pastor's blog:

"Our lifestyle is not pastoral, it’s prophetic. For example notice How we walk physically. We look down where we are and we look up to see where were going. What is true physically is also true spiritually."

God is present-future. He wants to see you walk into the destiny that He has planned - and He DOES have plans for you! (Jer 29:11)

Has Jesus not paid the price for our past failures? What about present and future failures? What right do we have to dwell on them? If what is true in the physical is also true in the spirit, then it behooves us to watch where we are going. If we constantly look back, then what is before us has the potential to destroy us.

Php 3:13-14 ESV
(13) Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,
(14) I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Kingdom Perspective

It's easy to view the Kingdom of Heaven as an aquarium, to be looked into and observed. Our reality tends to not be the same as the reality inside the aquarium. Our reality is ugly, full of the trials of life and death. The reality inside the aquarium is different - it's pretty and ideological and somewhat untouchable.

Our perspective tends to flow from a head knowledge of what we see in the aquarium. We know that all things are possible in the aquarium. IF we try really hard, and pray really long, and fast all the time, then we might be able to stick our hand in the aquarium and pull something out - like healing, or a financial miracle, or fill in the blank with your own miraculous wish.

Our perspective is the problem.

If we live in the spirit as we are instructed (Rom 8:13, Gal 5:25) then we discover that we can 'enter' the aquarium. Then something funky-tastic happens... we find the real reality is the Kingdom reality - God's reality, and that we had been living in an aquarium all along. That which is unseen is far larger and far more potent than that which is seen. Our old reality seems to be more of a silly, abominable emulation rather than the truth, which is that all things are possible with God.

The beauty of this is that we no longer have to work so hard to pull a miraculous rabbit out of a divine hat. If we live within Kingdom reality, then we simply operate in it as well. God's reality becomes ours. With such a perspective, what can limit you?

Reverse Contamination

In the Old Testament, we see examples of the severity of sin. In that, there were physical examples that could be observed. If you had a clean sacrifice, nothing unclean was to touch it. If that happened, the sacrifice was no longer acceptable because it was made unclean. If there were a crossing of paths between the clean and the unclean, the unclean always won.

Don't mix seed. Don't mix crops. Don't mix marriage between cultures. Don't mix customs.

It's a perfect example of living in sin without a savior. The unclean in you will win.

But after Jesus came and died, we discover reverse contamination. The unclean never wins over the clean. Sin is overcome. God sees the blood of Perfection.

Rom 11:16 MKJV
(16) For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, also the branches.

This was a concept of the Law... but it could never be personified or fulfilled until Jesus made it so! I have a Holy Firstfruit which makes the whole of whatever else I have HOLY as well, even if whatever else I have seems imperfect or insufficient. Firstfruits wins! Jesus wins!

Rom 8:28 MKJV
(28) And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.