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I’ve noticed a trend that I have no clue where it started. It’s one that makes no sense that I haven’t found a name other than what it is: manipulation for entitlement. Maybe it’s part of the word of faith movement that started with Kenyon back in the late 1800’s. I’m not sure but it goes something like this:
Someone will read God’s Word and read that God spoke something specific to someone; or someone else in God’s word may be speaking to a group of people and then next thing- the reader claims it for him or herself. You know similar to when an entire doctrine was created based upon Paul speaking to a certain group of people for a certain reason in a certain context. And yet many apply it thinking and making it apply today. No one thinks anything of it; they just live in the bondage it breeds.
I was recently told by someone to follow Joshua 1:1-6 in regards to property. I inquired of the Lord by what authority I would have to claim something that He spoke to someone else in an entirely different time for a specific reason in a specific context that had nothing to do with me then and here is what was revealed that I pray will give you breakthrough:
1- There are many promises in the Bible.
2- There are many promises in the Bible ‘for you’.
3- When you lay claim to something that God gave someone else that you have no jurisdiction to receive He is not obligated to deliver.
4- When you lay claim to something you think you are entitled to just because you want it and add ‘in Jesus name’ at the end of it moves you to a level of witchcraft and usery.
5- When you lay claim to something you think you want because God blessed someone else in the Bible with it- you may be shorting yourself because God may have something ‘better’ set aside for you.
6- When you lay claim to something you think you want and just attach ‘in Jesus name’ at the end without even asking God in the first place He is not obligated to deliver. Refer to John 15:1-7 where he who ‘abides’. Well abide in Hebrew is to ‘dwell’. If you are not dwelling then God is not obligated. It’s about the relationship with the Lord and not your own entitlement.
7- When God speaks a Word to someone or uses someone today to speak a word does not mean it is for every other person who happens to be there. I recall God using me to deliver a word to someone and the person who was standing there also claimed it. I was stumped. How on earth does that even work? And- who gave you such entitlement? The word for that person was based upon a specific context and for someone to just grab it for him/herself is beyond comprehension of the level of entitlement and selfishness. We must stop this and now! Get for yourself what God has for you and stop stealing everything that you think you want and are entitled to that has nothing to do with you! Go with the ‘promises’ He has for you as that is much different.
8- What God has for you is for you- yet if you never grow in that relationship with Him you won’t receive it. You will only be receiving second hand, generational, inherited something or other that while may be good- wouldn’t be ‘all’ that God would have for you.
9- When God doesn’t deliver on what you think you were entitled to that you claim outside of your jurisdiction and ability to receive you have no reason or authority or case against God when he doesn’t deliver it.
So much of Christianity today is based upon a level of getting for self-gain and not the fullness of holiness, repentance, obedience. It is much more carnal, covetness and greed. It is not clear where or when the church was hijacked although what it is clear is that many are being deceived to believe that they are entitled to everything simply because they are. Many have forgotten that God ‘is’ God and that we are not.
Many are leaving the church is perhaps it’s because of what many have been fed. Lies, dishonest gain for selfish pleasures. Things that sound good yet aren’t fully God. It hurts people in the end because they honestly believed and when God doesn’t deliver they blame Him and it’s sad because it’s not God’s fault.
Until we truly grasp the reality of who He is and who we are; and what really we are ‘entitled’ to nothing will change. It will continue to collapse along with the ‘gimme gimme’ yet it’s pretty clear it’s better to give than to receive. Where are the givers? We must understand that we need to get into God’s Word and study ourselves approved otherwise the ensuing calamity will only bring harsher consequences and in the end- it will be just; only because God is a just God.
Jesus said in the Book of John, ‘You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.” (12:8) One can look around and see it clear. It’s also known that 3% of the people have 97% of the world’s wealth so one can infer that the rest of us are poor. I was always told that anyone who has to work to support him or herself was poor. I started wondering what Jesus meant specifically by poor and where are these poor; exactly?
Keep in mind when you venture toward something like this; your eyes will be open and what you see may surprise or sadden you. For me it was both. The poor aren’t those who lack financially; no no. It’s so much more than that. Poor in the Strong’s is afflicted (6035) which I know at some point I knew but never paid attention to. I was this time!
I started seeing it everywhere; the hearts of people. The affliction, the pain; the lack of depth in most conversations. Then became the wonder: how did we come to a place of caring more about phones than people? At what point did people become so disposable? At what point did our conversations become reports of our oh so busy pretend lives that we just simply do not ask the most basic of question: ‘how are you?’ and actually have a heart that means it?
The more conversations I listened to the more saddened it became and was so clear what Jesus was speaking about; and how really poor people were then and- now. He tells the disciples that the poor will always be among them; and that they won’t always have Him. How many of us now have Him yet are the walking poor? One may ask what’s up with that? How; how could it be so that we have traded our treasure for trash- and accepted it?
We must remove the spirit of deep sleep and ask our Father to truly open our eyes to see so that we can discern if we are the poor among them; and then rebuke it. We must start paying attention to the poor among us and now before it’s too late. We are losing too many people and simply because our society is so selfish that it just can’t begin to look beyond the next selfie.
Did you know the suicide rate for Caucasian men is at all time high? They are hated in today’s society by so many; men of other ethnicity’s and women alike. And these men alive today are not even responsible for what men hundreds of years ago did; but yet society in its unforgiving ways can’t seem to recognize that. So let’s just add to the poor among us shall we? And for what exactly? We must begin to recognize that while there are always going to be poor among us; having less poor would be more ideal than falling into the enemy trap of propaganda that only creates more.
You see; the person next to you, you know the one- who looks like everything is wonderful on the outside may just be the one poor one knife slit from death or one bullet away from leaving a family behind. You do not know and you never will if you never pay attention to the poor among you.
It is time that we put down the phones and start looking at the people. They, those precious people right next to you will reveal much if only you stop for a moment; just a moment to look. Engage. Listen. Love. You can help the poor be poor no more; simply by paying attention and recognizing that you are needed more than your phone is by others.
There are many questions surrounding Tribulation and Christians often ask if they need to prepare and if so what does it look like? I can say without hesitation that yes one must be prepared; as was Noah in his time. He followed the Lord’s command and as a result was prepared. Apostle Paul also warns about being prepared in and out of season.
During the time of Tribulation not being able to make purchases we must have our homes protected so that we are able to endure such time. We should as Believers wait until its too late to begin preparing as we already have examples to follow in God’s Word. The Book of Proverbs provides much for us as we examine one tiny little ant. In Proverbs 6:6-8 it reads,
6 Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!
7 It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,
8 yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.
The ant demonstrates the ability to think not just about the fleeting moment but rather toward what may be ahead. As such we must as well.
Let’s examine what we may need during the time of Tribulation; knowing that as you pray and ask for the Lord’s leading your list may vary although these may be some foundation items that are necessary.
1- Water. Of course everyone needs water so this goes without say. If you start now stocking up on water then you are set for drinking but what about the rest of your life? What about showering, cooking, or anything else. Don’t you need to be able to flush the toilet so you may need more water? If you have the drinking water do you really want to pour that down the toilet? The large blue containers you can fill up with a few gallons of tap water and then store them in the garage so you have something. You wouldn’t want to store your drinking water in the heat in the garage as it will only take more like plastic than it already does. Berkey water filtration systems are also available for a reasonable price online.
2- Canned goods and Food. Of course you have to eat and because you may not have electricity or know when it will be restored you definitely have to plan. What is your daily food consumption now? How long will the food in the refrigerator and freezer last? How would you prepare it? I was told years ago to take old water bottles and fill them with water but not all the way full and then store them in the freezer for occasions just like this. Perhaps a few MRE’s and other items should be accounted for before it’s too late. Foods high in protein and require no cooking are the most obvious. Plan for additional foods for the children and infants in your family. Not only this; how often do people eat out of boredom? Planning now will help you know what you have so your level of irritability won’t be so high. Rice and beans are obvious options; although they will deplete your water so be mindful of every ingredient needed.
3- Paper items. Toilet paper, napkins and other items are good to have on hand. Because water supply is limited doing dishes won’t be easy using paper products can serve the purpose. If count for how much toilet paper you use per month then perhaps an extra month supply would be good. Obviously if you are single you use less than a family of five; and that is the last thing you want to run out of. One opened item of anything is never enough! If you are the one with toilet paper it too can be used to barter for items you may not have.
4- Protection. It’s wise to be able to defend yourself in all seasons. Keeping current with firearms training and having ammunition is just prudent. My CHL is current and being proficient in using it doesn’t take much time out of my life. It’s just one of those things that is no different than taking care of the laundry. While some may say Christians and Bibles don’t go together; history reveals that our forefathers carried their firearms to church with them. And regardless of who does or does not believe; I will stand protected in the manner in which is most suitable for me. Prayer is obvious although a nice Springfield is something good to have on hand.
5- Toiletries. As I said before an opened anything is never enough. Are you at the bottom of the shampoo bottle? Last roll of the toothpaste? What then? Relying on others may not be the wisest choice; time to start walking in a new level of prudence. How terrible would it be to not be able to brush your teeth for a few days or weeks?
6- Lighting. Candles of course can work just great; but how many would you need to use for light and warmth? When I look around my home I see 30ft ceilings which means all the warmth going everyone else except to me. I would need to get creative with where I would spend my time because I obviously don’t want to waste my candles. My personal idea is pretty simple. My bathroom is a decent size and is closed in so it would make the most sense to set up shop in there. I would set up an air mattress in the bathtub and that room would be the warmest with less heat escaping. Sitting on the air mattress also gets me off the floor. Because my dining room, kitchen, living room; and bedroom all have windows using candles simply would not be the best option. Additionally; any light that is viewed from the outside can cause you to be a target from the undesireables. GE sells the LED lanterns that take D batteries so for 20 bucks I have light and with my candles have warmth. Don’t forget the matches or lighters. I have a fireplace that was one thought although the bathroom would still provide better options for longer warmth. Start looking at what you have and what you can do with what you have; and how to make what you have fully operational when you need it.
7- Pet food and supplies. You can’t let your pet go hungry now can you? Of course mot! The Olive needs her food too. How much does your pet consume daily? What about flea, tick or heart worm medicine? Having these items on hand will only help you better protect your animal. Perhaps a few extra treats or raw hide bones would serve as a distraction from the situation. You may also think about a dog sweater or sweatshirt. While most with the purse dogs spend more on these items; your lab or Great Dane deserves one too!
8-Prescriptions. While it’s easy to call the pharmacist to place the prescription order on most days; during Tribulation that option won’t exist. Not only this; you most likely wouldn’t have phone service to make the call or be able to get to that location to purchase it. Having enough supply on hand is wise as you would have to have your mother or child suffer those consequences!
9- Extra glasses or contacts. If it’s dark and you lose a pair of glasses now you are stuck. Stuck using your light to go search in the cold of the night to find them when if you had an extra pair in an easy to find location you would be just fine. This is one thing on my list without a doubt! I’ve never lost a pair but that doesn’t mean an extra pair wouldn’t be beneficial. I’m also learning that too many things that can be done tomorrow can wreck havoc on it too!
10- Blankets. If you happen to be like many bachelors you may just have your sheet and comforter that you sometimes use; or even perhaps you have the old quilt from someone years ago. Having enough blankets to keep you warm is a definite! If you hold up in one room you can always use one at the base of the door to keep any heat from escaping. My favorite is my down comforter; although I have two other bed sets and numerous other blankets that I have picked up along the way. This one item that can definitely serve it’s purpose. Of course if you have the sleeping bag that you use for those hunting excursions those will work just fine.
11- Generator. Sure you may not want to spare the expense of a few hundred bucks and no one blames you. For those who like to really be prepared it may be the best way to go. While others may be suffering; those with the generators wouldn’t lose any power so perhaps it is something to consider.
While we know God always provides and He did so for the Israelites; although they were traveling. Many today will not be and will need enough to care for themselves. It is up to each of us to get with the Lord and inquire what He knows you need. We can learn in scripture in 2 Thessalonians 3:10 that a man who doesn’t work doesn’t eat; and one who doesn’t prepare now probably will starve during Tribulation.
So long as you start now in building your faith, your time in His Word; and your relationship with Him you will survive. The time now that you have must be spent with the right mindset for a double minded man is unstable in all his ways. Remember that the enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy and any way he can deceive you he will. Do not be deceived but rather be strengthened in your faith, in your mind and in your body so that you can endure to the end and be saved as Jesus says.
If someone were to ask you to describe or define faith what would you say? I for many years had no clue how to truly answer that. Sure I could quote scripture except not really because I didn’t grow up in the church. Understanding what exactly faith is will help you to walk in it; grow in it; and live out the call on your life while being a witness and testimony. There are many things that faith is and is not.
I had no clue what faith was, how to walk in it; or the outcomes of it. I in addition; had no clue how to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. I just did not. I knew how to intellectualize everything; including religion- which is absolutely not relationship at all!
Faith yes is evidence of things not seen; although it is much more than this. To identify:
- Faith is a requirement to be pleasing to the Lord as outlined in Hebrews 11:6
- Faith is vital for Christians as it reads in Romans 1:17
- Faith is essential for salvation; else how can one even receive Christ as told in John 3:16
- Faith is right standing before the Lord as Galatians 2:16 reads
In understanding of a few of the things that faith is; it will help you to walk closer with Christ with full confidence of who He is and that He will never leave you nor forsake you and that He truly is on your side. This is where the growth enters into the picture. Without faith how can you have a relationship and if you do nothing to maintain or grow in the relationship then what truly will your level of be?
Faith is not a few simple things:
- Faith is not intellect. Trying to think your way to faith is very challenging because faith is not intellectual. It’s not mental ascent and attempting to turn something spiritual into mental only leads to frustration and conflict internally and with the Lord because it removes Him from doing all that He probably wants to do in your life because your mind is in the way.
- Faith is not your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5 tells us to rely ‘not’ on our own understanding. Praise the Lord because really what sense of understanding do we all have at any given moment? Relying on what we think you understand at a moment is based upon the little wisdom that you have and that will only have you stuck in a perpetual cycle that won’t deliver the ultimate results you are seeking. It’s best to just let go and let God be God.
- Faith is not your own back-up plan. Your own back up plan will only identify the little faith that you have; and ultimately your level of doublemindedness and lack of trust in the Lord.
Faith is part of the journey of every Believer and it takes time as with any relationship. When you recognize that it isn’t about religion or rules but the relationship with a heart turned toward Him; your life will begin to change. Allow Him to transform you through the faith you have exhibited to receive Him in the first place.
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The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy. He comes in any way he can and he knows no bounds and operates in no rules. He strikes when people are unsuspecting and because they know not; he in his stealth, yet limited ways destroys lives. Pressing in when you are tired can be extremely challenging; although when you understand warfare and the enemy tactics it will put you on the offense to taking down the enemy so you walk in the victory that you already have; just have yet to experience.
Now there is nothing wrong with being or getting tired as it happens and is normal; especially with the hustle and bustle of today’s every rapidly moving society. The thin though is understand how and when to know when to stop and rest; and when the enemy is interfering with you to keep you off your game.
As it’s commonly known, Christians in the western world pray on average 5 minutes per day and pastors 30. This is a huge clue as to why so many are living defeated! When the enemy spends more time petitioning God than Christians that should be a wake up call to say the least! There should be no reason for Christians to be broke, unhealthy; or rejected. None whatsoever!
So it brings cause for question: what really is going on? How do I press in when I am tired; and why am I even tired in the first place? Well; let’s examine:
1- You are tired because the enemy keeps you tired. The enemy loves it when God’s people are not productive. It’s hard to advance the Kingdom when you are too tired to move. It’s easy for him to win the battle and continue to beat you down. Do you often feel guilty when you want to take a nap or a day off; or if you sleep longer than your boss thinks you should. Of course there will always be more to do; but guess what? You are not the Savior! When you recognize all the tactics the enemy uses to steal your joy, keep you pursuing unnecessary and unfruitful endeavors, how he uses other people to steal your time; it will oh so obvious what has happened.
2- You are eating all the enemies delights and not God’s. Eve was deceived by what she saw in Genesis 3:6: “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” What is pleasing doesn’t mean healthy whatsoever. Companies and advertisers have blurred the lines and many unsuspecting consumers are filled with what is pleasing to the eye yet killing them. It’s time to wake up and see that what is man made manufactured not from God is probably not what will sustain you.
God created wonderful food for us to eat so it begs the question: why are we as a nation so unhealthy, so obese, so sick? Studies continue to reveal that America is the sickest nation in the world with the most advanced health care yet in reality if we ate better we would not need be tired all the time, sick; and have children with obedience issues. It’s really beyond time to start paying attention to what we are feasting our eyes upon so to not be deceived by that which is not of Him.
3- You have fallen prey to the ways of the world. Oh yes the ways of the world really are depleting. The world offers nothing but bad credit and heartache. Look at America now; suffering of a big belly ache. The world will keep you busy chasing everything except for the relationship with God. By the end of the night are you just too tired to read the Bible, have too much a not so much headache that you don’t have intimate moments with your husband, and have just a few more thousand emails to check? Sure the enemy knows this. Is he preying on your vanity, your approval addiction or addiction of any kind; your need to be needed and all the other things that really won’t suffice when the rubber hits the road? The ways of the world will leave you more than tired if you aren’t aware and on the offense in overcoming.
4- You are not offensively praying; or praying at all. It’s sick and sad that Christians pray so little yet expect so much. See; the only prayers not answered really are those that you don’t bother to pray. And no outsourcing your prayer life to those strangers on facebook is no the answer either. No. It’s really an insult to the Lord and only reveals you care so little about your relationship with Him; or even Him at all. So the best way to get on track and press in when you are tired is to pray. When do you pray? When you feel like and when you don’t. Otherwise; you won’t get anywhere- or rather anywhere you probably want. How could you? The enemy is already 5 steps ahead of you making sure you are and stay tired. You must press in and get going. Remember that whatever you are not willing to protect you won’t keep. Ask any divorced person about that and listen quietly and carefully.
So the question is: how do I press in? What do I do?
1- Recognize where the enemy is keeping you tired. You probably can identify them- you just have to stop long enough to pay attention and then do something about it. And then of course stop making excuses.
2- Cancel those assignments in the name of Jesus; against your mind, your sleep, your health, your finances, your peace, your spouse, your children, your boss, your company, your friends, your joy, your time with Him and any and everywhere else that the Lord reveals. See; if you don’t take authority in the name of Jesus you are giving the enemy legal ground- to destroy you. Period. And he delights in nothing more than the destruction of the Lord’s children.
3- Pray for strength and energy to get through the day and night. God created the ‘day’ and the ‘night’ as written in Genesis 1:5: “God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning–the first day.” As a result of this separation of you pray for strength, energy and faith for the day; what about the night? Because these are consumables we need refilling for both times.
When you truly grasp the reality that the enemy means you no good and that while yes there is a time to sleep an a time for all things; pressing in when tired requires strategy. If you don’t have one you will succumb to the ploys of the enemy which he just loves. Think about this: tired people get into more vehicle accidents, have more stress, make more wrong decisions, engage in more conflict, eat more unhealthy and the list goes on and all to the detriment of the person.
It’s time now to have a plan to taking the territory from the enemy that is for God’s Kingdom and know how to press in so that you are living on the strategic offense for Him instead of sleeping on the job while the enemy destroys and laughs all the way doing it. You have more to live for and more to do and now is the time to press in!
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There are many books written on the topic of boundaries; boundaries in dating, boundaries in marriage, boundaries with children. Boundaries abound! While it’s all wonderful and necessary to have boundaries; what about boundaries when it comes to our relationship with Christ? Setting boundaries in your relationship with Jesus must and should be a priority.
When you think of your life what boundaries do you currently have in place? I often ask this of my college students and well; you probably would not be surprised by the answer. None. I ask them what boundaries they have in place with their cell phones, sex before marriage, their time; and I’ve been told they don’t really have much time to think about such trivial things and here is where the problem will continue. Those young adults turn into 40 somethings; and still with no boundaries. And by the way; do you have any boundaries with your cell phone? Do you own it or does it own you?
If we have no boundaries in anything in life; then what impact will it have? Obviously we can see the impact in how we are treating one another and being treated, the divorce rate, the singlehood rate; the rate of abortion and everything else is evident of clear boundaries and some may say lack of respect for self.
As we examine boundaries in our relationship with Christ what boundaries do you have in place? Do you set aside specific time daily for reading scripture, studying scripture, meditating on His Word; prayer? Or it is just go and serve in the building? Now in no way am I coming against serving by any means although what tends to happen is a scenario such as this:
People enter into a church and because there is such a need they serve. It’s wonderful as there is a need and people are pleased to meet the need. Then the need grows and the people are needed more; and because they believe they are called to serve it continues only to the downfall of the relationship with Christ. The relationship with Christ for many turns into a complaint session of how tired they are from serving. As such instead of growing closer to the Lord they grow further and drift away. Christ is left there alone while people resent Him when in reality if only they had set boundaries with Him they would not be in such a position in the first place. They would have both; the healthy relationship with Christ and be serving.
It all begins with Christ and our relationship with Him. Period. We must start there because there will always be a need. Always. There will never not be a time in life when there is not a need for something. If you do not have boundaries in place then won’t you simply get tired and who’s fault will it be? It’s time that we set in place boundaries to protect our relationships with the Lord because if we don’t how can we expect it to grow? Remember that you will not possess what you are not willing to protect!
So how do you do it? How do you set boundaries in your relationship with Christ? As I was reading John 21:15-17 I was drawn by the fact that 3 times Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him. Peter answered 3 times yes. Each time he did the Lord gave him a responsibility. The one thing that Jesus never asked was about his skills or education; because obviously He knew what was most important. Love.
Through that I recognized that there are many ways to demonstrate love for another; and the Lord demonstrates His love for us as well. So how do you do it? What are ways that you can demonstrate your love for Christ? Set boundaries. It’s quite simple when you actually sit down and apply it. What are all the other things in your life that you are willing to protect? Make your relationship with Jesus the most important and the results will be there. Answer the questions truthfully and you will be able to develop the boundaries that are most suitable for you and your relationship with Christ.
1- How much time am I spending with the Lord now?
2- How much time would I like to be spending with the Lord?
3- What am I giving more priority to that isn’t adding to my life?
4- What have I allowed others to make a priority in my life that really isn’t?
5- What am I willing to rearrange or remove in my life to build and maintain my relationship with Christ?
What you will find is that just as Christ asked Peter if he loved Him; the answer was there along with the proof. Peter went from denying Christ to being all in with love and passion for Him. 3k people gave their lives to the Lord to begin the Book of Acts and God used Peter to reach the non-Jews. Peter also held prayer meetings, kept regular hours of prayer and followed through with his love for the Lord.
You see; his priorities changed and through that there has to be boundaries in place. If there were none there would be no consistent prayer meetings or anything else. Anyone would have free reign to enter and take charge; and that’s what has happened all too often in the lives of Christians. They have good intentions; but so what? Imagine if all Peter had was good intentions and no follow through; where we would be today?
It will require an in-depth introspective look at your relationship with the Lord; no different than a marriage. What do you want in place? What do you want your relationship to look like? What are you willing to accept or not accept? What do you want it to be filled with? If you are not paying attention to that and setting those boundaries in place- someone else with an agenda will use you. It happens all the time to unsuspecting Christians who don’t have those boundaries in place. They get tired and you my dear brother and sister; are worth more than that. And Jesus is. And so is your relationship with Him.
It’s time to reflect on the boundaries not in place or maybe those that need some revising; and set them in place. It’s time to ensure that your relationship with the Lord above all is protected and that your relationship will be all that it is supposed to be for His purpose.
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Many people believe that forgiveness is just something to do in passing; yet God’s Word gives us so much more. Understanding forgiveness as a type of deliverance will help you grow in Christ and live in the fullness of what He has for you. If you are wanting to expand your territory for the Lord, live in increase; be free from internal clutter there is no better way than to be delivered than by forgiving. Unforgiveness is plaguing our society and yet people recognize it not. It’s symptoms of bitterness, hatred, resentment; and turn away from the Lord are just some of the almost 40 symptoms keeping people in bondage.
I share some of my personal testimony of the years of abuse I endured and how the Lord healed and restored me and I pray in Jesus name that it helps someone else who has ever been abused; whether sexual, satanic ritual, physical, verbal, emotional, or psychological. God’s Word reigns supreme regardless of what you have gone through. While forgiving certainly was not easy; it did prove that forgiveness is a type of deliverance and because His word never returns void there is a testimony that gives Him all the glory.
What is going on in the Body of Christ today? A few questions may be why are people leaving, where the miracles signs and wonders have disappeared to; and what happened testimonies? When the church and the world look the same it should have every Christian questioning themselves by asking one simple question: Am I a lukewarm Luke or Lucile?
Being a follower of Christ is a lifestyle; not just a Sunday afternoon retreat for a feel good sermon to enjoy yet that seems to be the commonplace for America. Don’t like the message; jump to another church. Oh yes and don’t forget to stop at the one giving away Cowboys tickets in the raffle! And then of course repeat until you find the one that gives you the most goosebumps and talks the least about repentance. I get it. I too once liked the messages that made me feel good; until I got that feeling good was like eating tiny food at a restaurant- you leave hungry because you didn’t get fed.
Not growing up in the church I didn’t know what it truly was to be a Christian and even when I became one all I did was sit in church; for 18 years. Yet my life didn’t change. I had no power. I walked in no authority. I had no relationship. I was broke, beat down, discouraged and a sad excuse for what a Christian should be; much like many today. It didn’t change until I did something about. And it won’t for you either. So if you are lukewarm and do nothing; you simply will stay that way for there is no other way. And where really is a testimony of that? If you were to have a conversation with a non-believer what really would be the sharing point that you have that would have them wanting to be a follower of Christ?
Being a Christian isn’t about sitting and just listening to a message but rather taking action and territory for God and His Kingdom. You have an assignment; a purpose and it isn’t camping or glamping until His return. It simply is not! It is about your obedience to fulfill what you were created for. Nothing more. If you are not actively doing something beyond seeking yourself and your own glory; perhaps getting into His Word and seeking Him for what He would have for you is the best place to start- and really the only place. You can’t get beyond yourself only looking in the mirror and seeing your reflection.
It took me years to get that it was’t about me. I didn’t know how to not make it about me. I was a victim in many ways of many things and my life reflected it. You may be there to except here is the thing. Your life can reflect that of you or the Lord- it’s your pick.
As I fast forward to a life of growth in Christ I see it now. It is so painfully obvious when pastors and church leaders today have the audacity to tell their congregations that sin filled lifestyles are what are going to revolutionize the church. Are you serious? Shame on you! Never mind that Jesus came to set the captives free. Is that not for today?
We must ask ourselves: Why do we think so little of ourselves and of Christ to be ok living in sin, justifying it; and then trying to manipulate people into the church by telling them that sin is ok and to keep on sinning; that abortion is ok, that homosexuality is ok, that just because there if forgiveness all is ok. Where does that edify the Lord? How on earth does that advance His Kingdom? Are we ok with just giving to God 1.5 hours on Sunday and then get mad when He doesn’t deliver what we think we should have? Give me a break! Where are the messages of repentance? Oh yes is that not for today? Well; we need repentance and obedience more than we need one more prosperity message as it’s clear those aren’t truly helping the Body as a whole!
I was told that if I wanted to grow in Christ it would require 40+ hours per week. I thought my Bible teacher was high; he wasn’t. How could I even give 40 hours per week when hockey season was starting? Let’s get real here! I got serious about what it means to be a follower of Christ and my life changed. Yours will too and guess what? You won’t miss football for you will see the sin filled agendas they push down your throat. Oh yes when the NFL tries to bully cities about the gender confusion laws with the Superbowl. You won’t be so deceived that you fall for the satantic rituals performed during half-time. No you won’t feast your eyes on such rubbish because you will again see the Truth and of course be set free! The time in your life will be forever changed as much as you are in the name of Jesus.
You won’t miss the violence in movies or the hatred of women everywhere. You won’t find it funny when women act stupid and put down one another and curse and slander each other. Oh no. You won’t miss the need to be entertained because your standard of living will be beyond accepting sin filled crap in your life. You won’t be deceived by the feminist movement that is pure hatred. You won’t settle for less than what God has for you because you will recognize that the God you serve is holy and makes the impossible possible and just for you. You won’t miss not being seen at the bar looking oh so fly because the only One your focus will on is the One who matters most. And you won’t settle for less; oh no you won’t ever let someone call you out on being lukewarm because you know it won’t be possible.
Until we as followers of Christ are willing to stop placating sin, justifying it and minimizing and morphing it then the answer to the question is and will continue to be- you are a lukewarm Lucy or Larry and yes you will be spit out by Jesus in accordance with His word. It is beyond time to let these words sink in before it’s too late:
To the Church in Laodicea
14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.” (Rev 3:14-19)
There is time for you to make the personal change to not be known as the lukewarm lazy one but the gipper for God or as some may label but why care? At least you know who you are in Christ and that no weapon formed against you will come to pass.
It’s time to stop pretending as those days are revealing exactly what they are. It’s all collapsing and right before our very eyes. Too many people are losing their lives being deceived by what God says sin is and isn’t. It’s time now if you lay claim to being a Christian that you get up and stand up for Truth and stop actively networking your way through the social club of popularity in what is fake and fraudulent in the first place. Get with God and His level of holiness and then and only then will there be the full manifestation of transformation that takes place. Anything less than that is as fake as the Prada or Birkin bags people want people want you to believe are real. The time is now to do something about getting the real thing; and while you still can.
Forgiveness was not something I knew much about. Sure I heard the proverbial message in various churches to ‘forgive’ but so what? What did it even mean? And why? Oh the consequences and bla bla. The more pastors and preachers that spoke the simple word the more I resented the idea and the fact that it would do anything for more. When you resent having to forgive things happen; and not those that you want.
See; the idea of me having to forgive was such a joke. I was the victim! No seriously; I was. It wasn’t made up in my mind that I was a victim I truly was- and from before I was even born. But nevertheless I was left behind as my mother went for pizza; and then just never came back. I was taken from the foster home that I loved which definitely wasn’t fair. I even tried to run away from my adoptive parents to go back to the foster home because they actually loved me. And to grow up later in life hearing ‘forgive’ just made me want to vomit and kick someone in the shins.
I was angry because it wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair that so many people in my life made decisions for me that I didn’t have anything to do with but that I paid the consequences for. I resented them all for it because they were living the good life and here I was; suffering day in and day out. And as a child that is an injustice.
I carried all that with me and justified it so. And I even became a Christian, sat in church and thought nothing of it. I then became baptized in the Holy Spirit and still carried it with me. I was a victim and forgiveness was really not on my radar to the full. Sure I said the words years in the past but what would there be beyond that? A ton I later learned!
What I learned was that my resentment and anger was about me. My unforgiveness was about me too. And my harboring it was all my doing. I was satisfied in keeping all bottled up; even though I was nothing but! I didn’t even know how deep it was until after the fact. And it goes something like this:
I resented what happened to me. I resented that no one cared. I even resented God for not even being there because let’s face it- if God was so loving why would He even allow it in the first place? Oh yeah I was not a happy person by any means. And I resented that. I resented the holidays and seeing families together because I didn’t have that. And I resented happiness because it was something I could not have. I resented all the pretty people in school and those that bullied me. I resented the boys who used me and I certainly resented my adoptive father who was the biggest weenie that he never stood up for me. And to top it off the fact that I had to forgive just about sent me over the edge- the edge of Resentment Road! But then things changed. And in big ways. I learned something.
I learned that resentment, unforgiveness, and anger were not something I had to keep. I learned that while I was yes the victim of much; that I chose to stay that way. God revealed to me that He is loving and that He has a plan. He revealed that my unforgiveness and resentment was keeping me in the past and not flowering in the future. And well; I resented that too because I wish someone, anyone would have told me that although I’m not sure if it would have helped.
I also learned that unforgiveness is disobedience and rebellion. I learned that God was on my side as I chose the side of forgiveness; or that of life. I started feeling hope and peace in ways unexplainable. I was being healed and delivered through each act of forgiveness and repentance of unforgiveness. My resentment was disappearing like the snow after a Colorado blizzard. What I was shown was that all I had to do was keep my eyes focused on the Lord and that He would avenge all that occurred to me. He would redeem me. He would restore all that has been lost. He would and guess what? He is! And He will do the same for you.
The bottom line is that regardless of how you feel; your obedience is what must be the focus. It is not fair that things happen or that you are a victim; but what you do about it is what will move mountains. When you live life based upon how you feel you will never get where you want to go. If you allow resentment to reign; forgiveness will too. If you allow forgiveness to reign, resentment will too. And more importantly; that separation from Jesus will too. And when I got that I didn’t ever want to be resentful and miss out on the abundance of life that God ordained for me. My prayer today in the name of Jesus is that you see the treasure that you are; that you have all that you could ever dream of and that He created you to be more than a conqueror! I pray that you don’t allow resentment to rule but rather you trade it for freedom and forgiveness. Then you taste and see the goodness of the Living God. And resentment will be a thing of the past.
Stinking Thinking ,
You have a choice about what you think about. What you choose to think about will dictate where you go in your life. God’s Word tells us to ‘choose life so that you and your family may live’. It is a measure of protection that begins in the mind. The stinking thinking that you allow in will distort everything else in your life. Removing the stinking thinking will protect you and your family and will bring more of God and His larger plans into your life.
God’s Word also tells us to demolish every argument and pretension set up against the knowledge of God and so therefore; as we do that our lives will change. This is so that we can live in the freedom that comes only through taking every thought captive unto Him.
Brothers and Sisters; God is on your side. He wants the best for you it’s just time that you align yourself with you to align with God’s Word to receive just that.
You are not alone- He is with you!
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