Elijah House Training completed!

Thought I’d share that I recently received my Elijah House Prayer Ministry 202 certificate of completion! A year prior I completed the 201 class and received a certificate for that as well. It is my desire to get into this type of ministry.

Inner healing & deliverance is a passion of mine and I believe all of us could benefit from prayer ministry/counseling in our lives. It’s good to appropriate all He has done for us through the Five R’s:

Recognize

Confess and Repent

Release through Forgiveness

Reckon as Dead

Resurrect (bring to life)

I also believe in the Sozo ministry and Sapphire Leadership ministry along with Aslan’s Place ministry and Restoration in Christ ministry. I know there a many more out there but I only have exposure to the above listed. I believe that I should utilize as many tools as possible. It’s my desire to get into this type of ministry and am currently semi involved in Sozo and am in a part of a local Healing Rooms.

All of these are based off the finished work of Christ and shed blood from the garden of Gethsemane to the Cross and the resurrection and ascension of Christ. I believe Inner Healing should, generally speaking, be done prior to deliverance. Remove the garbage and the flies leave by default. I do not believe there are demons under every rock….but sometimes they are under every other rock.

That is all 🙂

 

Good morning, Holy Spirit!

Good morning, Holy Spirit!

May I rest in Your new mercies. Thank You that I don’t need to ask You to come for You haven’t left since I first time I asked You to come. Thank You for the ability to forgive today. Thank You for the ability to respond today out of my spirit and not react out of my soul. Thank You for being my Comforter. Thank You for being Another of the same exact kind. Thank You for leading me into all Truth and revealing the Father and Son to me. Continue to cause the scales on my eyes to fall so I may see the salvation You offer to me. Thank You for being the Wind that blows away the dross and the Breath that breathes Life and Vitality into my whole being. Thank You for making my soul to prosper and my spirit to grow and my body to be healed. Thank You for giving me the language of heaven and angels in which no darkness can listen to or comprehend. Thank You that You are God and I do praise and worship You, Holy Spirit. You are Lord and I give You Lordship over me. Come and enthrone all thrones of my soul. Expose those thrones that are occupied by darkness. Thank You for the gift and ability to repent. Smear me with all You are. Thank You for being in me and with me. Thank You for being a Person and for being personal with me. Thank You. Thank You. Thank You. Thank You for coming with the mother heart of God. Thank You for being a Father to the fatherless and a Mother to the motherless. Thank You that Your gifts and fruit are available to me when needed. Thank You for stepping into me and bringing Life and renewing me and making me born again by Your will.

Amen

I love the Prophetic!

I love the Prophetic! It’s an amazing thing to hear His voice first in my own spirit and through His Body. It’s so confirming and validating when God speak the same thing through different people who don’t know each other. It’s like God’s public recognition of your private relationship. Reminds me of what Matthew 6:6 says

But you, when you pray, enter into your closet and lock your door, and pray to your father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you in public.

It’s beautiful when the Father honors you with His Words for they are life. You know what the word Promise means? In Hebrew it means: dabar – speech, word, speaking, thing. In Greek it means: epaggelia – announcement. So when God speaks it is always in promise. But the promise sometimes in subject to our submission to it.

So several months back a woman from my church had a message and several words for people in the congregation. I was the first one she spoke to and she had a dream and told me it. It was awesome. Another guest speaker, Wendy Backlund, had a word for me and this time I was the last one. It also was a powerful word. Then, someone I don’t know, randomly Facebook messaged me a word…and it was spot on and combined both the other words together! It’s like God saying, “Well done.” It’s an amazing feeling when God recognizes you. I know some don’t believe in this stuff but I don’t judge them based on lack of experience. Some, unfortunately have been injured and wounded by immaturity in this error. Wrong prophecy isn’t false prophecy…it is prophecy in training. God is working on us! That is why in the Old Testament times they had schools of prophets. Kinda of like Samuel hearing the voice of God and not recognizing it until Eli taught him (1 Samuel 3:9). We criticize new people in the prophetic and label them false but if a pastor or evangelist isn’t perfect then what?

As believers and sons of God we are a prophetic people. We hear His Voice and follow Him. 1 Thessalonians 5:20 says

Do not despise prophetic utterances.

And 1 Timothy 4:14 says

¹⁴ Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery.

Notice this prophecy wasn’t used to complete the Bible, as some say prophecy was designed for. This prophecy was used to bestow a spiritual gift on Timothy by the laying on of hands. Timothy didn’t write Scripture. So why then did he need a prophecy?

There is a difference between the office of a prophet and gift of prophecy but I don’t feel the need to get into that today.

Some of mystified hearing God’s voice but the fact that some abuse a gift doesn’t negate its original design. There can only be a counterfeit if there is a real. So when you ask God for bread He won’t give you a stone…because some like to cast the first one they get. I am one of his sheep and I hear His voice and I follow Him and He confirms what has already been planted and watered in my heart and spirit and He will give the increase. Until the complete stature of Christ is manifest in His Bride these gifts and Offices are still needed. We still need Pastors, Teachers, and Evangelist so we still need Apostles and Prophets. Oh and by the way…without Love the whole shebang is worthless and white noise or a clanging symbol! Just like the Priests robe has bells and fruit(Ex. 28:34), we need both to operate all things in love. The gift of prophecy lines up with the fruit of goodness and it’s the goodness of God that leads to repentance.

Amen and amen! Glory to God in the highest!

Past anointings and mantles?

So it appears that there was some issue with the idea of having or walking in someone else’s anointing or mantle. This is what tend to believe about that…

I was watching a YouTube and the person shared Hebrews 11:39-40 which says

³⁹ And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, ⁴⁰ because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect. (NASB)

The above picture show Elijah passing his mantle to Elisha. 1 Kings 19:19 says.

So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, while he was plowing with twelve pairs of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth. And Elijah passed over to him and threw his mantle on him.

Mantle in hebrew is ‘addereth which means glory or cloak. 2 Kings 2:9-14 says

⁹ When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.” ¹⁰ He said, “You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.” ¹¹ As they were going along and talking, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire which separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven. ¹² Elisha saw it and cried out, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw Elijah no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. ¹³ He also took up the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and returned and stood by the bank of the Jordan. ¹⁴ He took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and struck the waters and said, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” And when he also had struck the waters, they were divided here and there; and Elisha crossed over.

So Elisha picked up Elijah’s glory. He picked up where Elijah left off. It’s a beautiful picture of the Scripture in Hebrews above. I also love the picture of Elisha taking that mantle and trying it out. He struck the waters and beseeched the Throne of God and asked where God was…and God showed up and the waters parted!

Even in Jesus’ time John the Baptist came with that same mantle. Luke 1:17 says

It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

There is yet and I believe now is, a generation with the anointing, mantle, spirit, and power of Elijah to prepare the way for Christ’s second coming. I know Elijah was a man just like us (James 5:17). Jesus was a Man too. He is also the Son of God as Adam was also (Luke 3:38). The anointing is the same but different. We have an anointing from the Holy One. We receive it from Him because He decides what type of anointing. Remember what Elijah said to Elisha when Elisha asked for the double portion? Elijah said, “You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.” The ball was in God’s court in regards to that double portion. Now is there a difference between the mantle or the double portion. The mantle was passed on but the double portion was subject to Elisha prophetic experience.

John the Baptist came is spirit in power of Elijah and Elijah has come to restore all things (Mark 9:12) and, in one of my previous blogs, heaven has received Jesus until the restoration of all things. There is still work to do. I think we get wrapped up in vocabulary(I do) and forget the spirit behind things. We have an anointing whether we call it healing, prophetic, this person or that person, etc. Christ is the Anointed One and He is the one that smears us with it! So when I said I felt like God say I have a Lincoln anointing it means there is a spirit and unction that Lincoln walked in and was not yet perfected and needs someone else to walk in it to fulfill it so he can become perfected for apart from us that wouldn’t come to completion. Don’t get me wrong I’m not running for President LOL. I have this picture of a relay race where there are many racers in one race. As one person runs there heart and finishes their race they pass on the baton to the next person to complete it. I also sense Malachi 4:5-6 is speaking about Hebrews 11:39-40 and it says

⁵ “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. ⁶ He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.”

Hearts of the fathers to the sons could also speak of past and current/new generations coming to together and, if I may borrow the term Dutch Sheets used, the synergy of the ages. Standing in agreement with previous prayers and adding on so that bowl of incense may be poured upon earth for perfection.

I went on a little bit of a rabbit trail but I think I clarified. I know some will still disagree but it’s all good! I love you guys who read and comment and like my blogs! We are in this together, Amen!? We need unity amongst diversity for there are many gifts but One Spirit!

I’ll end again with Hebrews 11:39-40

³⁹ And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, ⁴⁰ because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect. (NASB)

 

 

Lincoln Anointing?

Last week or so I felt that I heard in my spirit, “You have a Lincoln anointing.” Never heard of it but I have always liked Abraham Lincoln and have done papers in school about him. FYI I believe we have an anointing from the Holy One and when people talk about the anointing of so and so I think it more of picking up the reins or carrying on the mission of the person who either dropped it or has passed into full Glory. Anywhoo I did Google it and found one article about it on Elijahlist.com by Bill Yount. I have asked others and they have had the same word over them. I have ideas about what it is but not yet fully (Prov. 25:2). Has anyone else heard about this?

The article is listed below

http://www.elijahlist.com/words/display_word.html?ID=10119

 

Thanksgiving

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, which was only 5 days ago BTW, I must say I am thankful for our Father’s Voice. For without it, I would still be in my Stockholm Syndrome.

A Place to Lay His Head

Ephesians 4:12-13 (AMP)

¹² His intention was the perfecting and the full equipping of the saints (His consecrated people), [that they should do] the work of ministering toward building up Christ’s body (the church),

¹³ [That it might develop] until we all attain oneness in the faith and in the comprehension of the [full and accurate] knowledge of the Son of God, that [we might arrive] at really mature manhood (the completeness of personality which is nothing less than the standard height of Christ’s own perfection), the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ and the completeness found in Him.

 

Matthew 8:20 (NASB)

²⁰ Jesus *said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

Fullness (plērōma) – the state of being filled to capacity or that which is (has been) filled or the body of believers, as that which is filled with the presence, power, agency, riches of God and of Christ

Knowledge (epignōsis) – to become thoroughly acquainted with, to know thoroughly and precise and correct knowledge

Mature (teleios) – wanting nothing necessary to completeness or brought to its end, finished

What I believe is happening and needs to happen is that the Church (https://1john417.wordpress.com/2014/11/28/what-does-the-term-church-mean/) needs to create a place for Christ’s Head to rest. Far too long…centuries upon centuries the Church has been disjointed and far removed from His Head. We hear message upon message of the same things. Milk (1 Cor.3:2). We need meat. We need to consume His Flesh and drink His Blood. We must focus and behold Him in order to go from glory to glory (https://1john417.wordpress.com/2014/10/13/mirror-mirror/). If we keep focusing on our current glory we will never grow and never transfigure into something greater and fuller is measure. There is hidden wisdom reserved for us to walk in…there are book waiting to be opened for us to read (1 Cor. 2:7, Dan. 12:4) We must focus where we are seated in order to influence where we stand. To say it literally, the world depends on it and us to walk as He is in this world (Rom. 8:19, 1 Jon. 4:17)

Hebrews 6:1-3 (AMP)

6 Therefore let us go on and get past the elementary stage in the teachings and doctrine of Christ (the Messiah), advancing steadily toward the completeness and perfection that belong to spiritual maturity. Let us not again be laying the foundation of repentance and abandonment of dead works (dead formalism) and of the faith [by which you turned] to God,

² With teachings about purifying, the laying on of hands, the resurrection from the dead, and eternal judgment and punishment. [These are all matters of which you should have been fully aware long, long ago.]

³ If indeed God permits, we will [now] proceed [to advanced teaching].

Jesus is our Savior, not death. If we are waiting for death to be free from sin and imperfection than death is your savior and not Christ. We must stop living body, to soul, to spirit and start living, as we were originally created, spirit, to soul, to body. I am of the believe that our spirits are not subject to the limitations and parameters of our body (see Acts 5:15, Acts 19:12, Col. 2:5). Our soul, on the other hand, must be more and more subject to Him and sanctified and prosperous (3 John 1:2). We truly are seated in Heavenly dimensions or places.

Christ needs shoulders and a body not defined by denominations or labels but by His placement. Knit together in unity of the Spirit. His rule comes through man’s agreement with His purposes. A true co-labor and co-work and co-creating with Him (https://1john417.wordpress.com/2014/02/17/what-on-earth-do-we-do-2/).  Seek His face and thus become His face on earth. Creation groans together by our unveiling which brings His headship back to original intent. (https://1john417.wordpress.com/2014/10/13/mirror-mirror/)

We need to hold fast to the Head as Colossians 2:18-22 says

¹⁸ Let no one defraud you by acting as an umpire and declaring you unworthy and disqualifying you for the prize, insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels, taking his stand on visions [he claims] he has seen, vainly puffed up by his sensuous notions and inflated by his unspiritual thoughts and fleshly conceit,

¹⁹ And not holding fast to the Head, from Whom the entire body, supplied and knit together by means of its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.

²⁰ If then you have died with Christ to material ways of looking at things and have escaped from the world’s crude and elemental notions and teachings of externalism, why do you live as if you still belong to the world? [Why do you submit to rules and regulations?—such as]

²¹ Do not handle [this], Do not taste [that], Do not even touch [them],

²² Referring to things all of which perish with being used. To do this is to follow human precepts and doctrines.

Father, we need You! Father us in this new thing and time and season. Father us to completion. Reveal Yourself to us so we may be revealed to ourselves. Creation is waiting Father. May we succumb to your relentless love and transfiguration process in which metamorphosis (metamorphoō) happens and we change into fullness and a mature man able to support and bring down your authority in order to make your enemy your footstool and things are restored for Your coming.

In Jesus’ name, Amen!

 

What does the term “Church” mean?

According to Strong’s ekklésia (church) means an assembly, congregation, church; the Church, the whole body of Christian believers. Now from what I recently learned this is the most basic definition. In other words the church or ekklésia means a group of people together. But what else does it mean? I will attempt to explain what I recently heard from two different minsters on two different occasion unrelated to each other.

According to ancient Greece the ekklésia was the senate of the government. It legislated what was allowed or forbidden or may I say bound or loosed (Matt. 16:19).

The ekklesia‘s powers were almost unlimited. It elected and dismissed magistrates and directed the policy of the city. It declared war, and it made peace. It negotiated and approved treaties and arranged alliances. It chose generals, assigned troops to different campaigns, raised the necessary money, and dispatched those troops from city to city. It was an assembly in which all members had equal right and duty. As the Roman Empire rose and supplanted the Greeks, the Romans adopted the term into Latin.

The concept that distinguishes biblical usage from classical Greek usage is the emphasis that it is God’s assembly. Ekklesia, therefore, means God’s people, called together by God to listen to or act for God. The emphasis is on the action of God, which has the force of a summons (as from a judge). The biblical ekklesia, the church, is a body of people, not so much assembling because they chose to come together, but assembling because God called them to Himself—not assembling to share their own thoughts and opinions, but to listen to the voice of God.  –  John W. Ritenbaugh

This should totally change your view of what Church means. Ritenbaugh also says about where the term “church” comes from:

Perhaps the best place to begin answering these questions is by tracing the etymology of the word “church” itself, and then looking at the way it is used in context. Many have assumed that it derives from the Greek ekklesia, but this is not true. The English word “church” descends from an Old English word cirice, akin to an Old High German word, kirihha. Both words derive from a Late Greek word, kuriakon, which comes from the Greek kuriakos, the possessive form of the word kurios, the term for “lord.” Kuriakos thus simply means “lord’s,” showing possession, or “belonging to the lord” (Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, 1985, p. 240). It can denote anything that belongs to the Lord.  –  John W. Ritenbaugh

When I think of ekklesia I also am directed to 2 Cor. 5:20 when it speaks of being ambassadors of Christ. We bring the current rule and reign of Jesus to this earth as His representatives. We legislate Heaven’s directives upon earth. Far too long the enemy has ruled and run this world but with Christ’s FINISHED work we bring what He brought. Didn’t He pray, Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven? Let us create the footstool for our Lord and bring the restoration of all things so we can hasten His coming (Heb. 10:13, Acts 3:21, 2 Pet. 3:12)

We need His directives and wisdom to establish His kingdom. He is coming back for a BEAUTIFUL Bride and not a disjointed church. He is still looking for a place to lay His head…

I do not believe in the escapism that is preached by pre-trib eschatologists. I do believe there is a light that is and will shine brighter and brighter upon His Bride as she continues to make Herself ready. Isaiah 60:1 needs to happen and I believe it will be a literal shining according to Matt. 17:2 and 2 Cor. 3:18. If Moses received a lesser covenant with a glory so strong he had to cover his face then how much more will the greater shine forth on and through us! I’ll end with this scripture:

Romans 8:30Amplified Bible (AMP)

³⁰ And those whom He thus foreordained, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified (acquitted, made righteous, putting them into right standing with Himself). And those whom He justified, He also glorified [raising them to a heavenly dignity and condition or state of being].

We are the Throne of God on earth!

Graham Cooke Notes

Graham Cooke’s Maintaining Your Inner Compass Part 1 notes from:

Unfortunately the whole sermon is not on YouTube. These notes are directly from Graham Cooke’s Part 1 teaching. I took these notes for a meeting I was a part of. It was very enriching to intentionally listen and take notes. I could have written out 6 or more pages but this totaled 2 1/2 pages. Be blessed! As He Is So Are We!

Graham starts with Psalm 121: I WILL LIFT up my eyes to the mountain from whence shall my help come. My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip. He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper the lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun will smite you by day not the moon by night. The Lord will protect you from all evil. He will keep your soul. The Lord will guard your going and coming in. From this time forth and forever.

David had a brilliant devotional life because he connected with God no matter where he was not matter what he was going through. He knew how to connect with God devotionally.  :23-24 the steps of mans are established by the Lord. And He delights in his way. When he falls he will not be held headlong because the Lord is the one who holds his hand.

The great thing about journeying with the lord is that He knows how to keep us. Day after day in every kind of situation. He can turn every circumstance and situation around for our good and prosper us. In all the ups and downs in life God is the one remaining constant. Holy Spirit is teaching us to be constant and faithful because according to 1 John 4:17, as He is, so are we in this world. Because God keeps us we can learn to be as constant and consistent as God is.

What God wants from you He first gives to you. Because God delights in us we can delight in Him. Whatever we are facing it’s important to face with a real enjoyment of who God is for us. Our journey may take us to the vineyards of fruitfulness or the desert where there is no growth. But God will be the same to you in both places. Sometime God is a blazing sun but other times a candle in your hand. You get to walk with God and know him in both extremes. In warfare you get to know the God who laughs at His enemies. God can surround who you are and who you are not. We discover who God wants to be for us in every circumstance. Sometime we need stand long enough in His presence to see the Glory that is there because we are being changed from one degree of glory into another.

Graham Cooke talked about wanting a relationship with God more than just ministry. Devotions should be designed for relationship and not ministry. In personal devotions and relational times we stand before God as a much-loved son. Sometimes we come to God and say Father and other times Daddy and other times Help!

We accept the fact that we will have human and demonic opposition and stress involved with walking with God. But we can find out who God is for me when these things happen. Who is God to me right now? That is the joy set before us. We need not be worried about anything. We are not frustrated because that is a construct that is not birthed in the kingdom. Truth is we get to walk in grace and mercy and peace and love and goodness and rest and gentleness and delight and abundance and power and majesty. We get to walk in those things.

We are being changed from one degree of glory to another. We need to consider the possibility of something glorious happening at least this week if not today. We need to take all our responses from heaven and not from earth. The bible says we can be blessed under persecution. You have to rejoice and be exceedingly glad. The basis of this is moving in the opposite spirit as a preservation thing and as warfare. We get to spank the enemy. Out journey is into an experience in the Spirit so profound that we become as Jesus is because as He is so are we in this life and world. We live from the inside to the outside. All of life in the Spirit is internal. We learn to step back into our spirit and live out of that place. We learn to live in the spirit as opposed to the soul.

We are learning to maintain our inner compass. Our direction comes from inside, our inner man. Guidance is relation and not functional. Guidance is a byproduct of relationship. Too many decisions are made by external evidence rather than internal proof. In order to grow into this we have to develop and maintain our inner compass so when we stop spinning we know where God is because He is our True North. There are three questions we should ask ourselves in all new situation or circumstance. Who am I? What am I? and Where am I?

When life explodes and interferes we must ask Who am I in this? I believe all our journeys begin in the heartbeat of God and that’s where you rest right now. I can have an understanding and experience with the nature of God. I can know what he is really, really, really like. I don’t want to be intimidated by the enemy but be fascinated by Jesus. We try to get faith outside of the heartbeat of God. God lives in you and he has no problems believing. Faith comes from your focus. When focusing on God faith is there. God is faithful that means we can be full of faith.

All revelation of God must be specific to His nature and explicit to your identity. When He shows you something about himself his reason for this is because he wants you to become that next. Your identity gets an upgrade. God is not messing around and nothing casual. Everything about Him is utmost intention so we need to pay attention.

We get to wage war with peace and inflict our rest upon the enemy. Rest is a weapon. We are partners in His nature. David was a man after God’s own heart because he was always discovering his own identity in the face of God who was totally for him all the time. We are learning in the context of that on how to practice opening our heart to revelation and saying yes to God’s love.

Who is God for you right now? What specific part of His nature are you meant to fully experience at this time? When you know you learn to direct yourself toward God in that. We don’t define by our circumstance but by the nature of God being released and revealed to us. God loves us to ask questions but don’t allow your lack of answer to disrupt your internal communion with Him. Sometimes he doesn’t give us answer right away. He wants to teach you to live in the question with Him. What’s more important God or the answer? We don’t need an answer what we need you God. God likes the dialogue. Sometimes there are better questions for us to ask Him. Living in the question makes our life happy in the process. There are times where God allows our life to come into a place of uncertainty. Why? God wants to be your certainty. God is jealous and he is not apologizing. He wants to be your all in all. He wants to have that number one place in your life.

Don’t stop believing until you get an experience. When you get it you longer have to believe. Faith is a temporary thing, not permanent. Faith becomes knowledge. Faith is present to give you an experience. You no longer have faith that Jesus is Lord, you know Jesus is Lord.

Knowing opens you up to the reality of the truth. That you may know what is the hope of His calling. That we may know the things freely given to us by God. You begin to declare things from Heaven instead of praying for them. It’s your inheritance. Faith is the introduction to Hope. It leads you to confident assurance.

What do you need to be confidant in regarding who God is for you right now? The particular circumstances in your life should be leading you to an experience into a particular aspect of God’s nature? What was your last real experience of God? Did you become established in that as a behavior, did you learn how to abide in that? What is your current uncertainty? What do you have permission to ask God for?

In your current situation ask the Holy Spirit this: What is it that God wants to be for me now and who am I in a response to that?

Excuse Me, But Do I Know You?

2 Corinthians 5:16

Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer.

Interesting scripture I must say. From now on we recognize no one according to the flesh. I’m sure we all of read that and maybe thought about it but quickly finished our bible reading for the day. Forgive my sarcasm :). I’ve read it plenty times but I love when God highlights the scripture. Holy Spirit Sharpie Highlighter! Anywhoo… So what does Paul mean by this? I immediately think of 1 Cor. 6:11 which states: “Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.“ Paul was recognizing them for who they are and not what they were doing. How many of us are trying to crucify the flesh or die to self? And no matter how much we do, we aren’t reflecting that truth. Ever hear of Phantom Pain or Phantom Limb Syndrome? Get this: people are operating out of something that isn’t there. Something that has been cut off. Something that is no longer a part of them. I researched(if you could call it that) phantom pain/limb syndrome and there are reports of people still feeling the limb and even gesticulating with the phantom limb while talking. I mean in no way to offend amputees btw so please don’t think I’m making light of actual people experiencing this. I say this because the thought occurred to me that if humans can walk and operate like they still have a limb that isn’t there that Christians still operate in something that isn’t there. This is what I like to call Phantom Flesh Syndrome. Now I’m getting off track…which happens when I blog. More on Phantom Flesh Syndrome on a later post.

Back to what I was saying before. The Kingdom is an inner man, spiritually discerned, God breathed life and outlook. We cannot recognize others based on what is dead. We need to call to life or call to a realization of what is already alive. Kingdom looks beyond the veil of flesh into the inner man created in God’s image(read previous Mirror Mirror post). I do not mean we do not acknowledge falling short of our brothers and sisters but we do not recognize as that action because it is no longer the core of who they are. There may be some root issues to deal with but at the core it is not who they are. Paul was pointing out these issues but countered it by saying, “such were(past/dead) some of you but you were washed/sanctified/justified.” You are no longer what you were.

I like how Paul thinks. Grace upon grace. He didn’t recognize them according to the flesh but spoke on their identity. That is why New Testament prophecy is about one who prophesies for edification and exhortation and consolation. That is directed at the same church! How many of us prophesy our words of knowledge? Did you know there is a difference? That is also for another post. Where is the light in an individual? The Divine spark present? Are you mirroring back the negative dead stuff or the alive Kingdom stuff? Are you calling people higher or just exposing what the blood has covered/washed away? No matter the person Christian or Pre-Christian they are created in God’s Image. Are we muddying up the mirror or washing it for people to properly see the image of Him who create them? How do you recognize people? By their sin or by their Redeemer? These are all question we need to ask ourselves when relating to people. Most importantly how did Jesus see those the religious deemed Image-less?

 

 

Dream Long

I was in a meeting a couple weeks ago and the speaker was a Pastor’s son from India. As usual, he spoke on what the ministry in India is doing and wants to do etc. The usual missionary type sharing from a pulpit. But something really jumped out at me. His father, during a sermon, was speaking on dreaming. He said, “Many can dream big, but few dream long.” Few dream long.

I need to dream long.

Based on previous blogs I spoke on Presence and Promise and how Presence is key to open Promise. Dreaming long is the same thing. I know for me to dream big is emotional suicide but to dream long is sustained expectancy. I can dream the biggest dreams and despite my doubt or unbelief I continue to dream big…but now I know I need to dream long.

Who knows when a big dream will manifest? Where it will? How it will?

Living in the journey with God is so important. Dreaming big but dreaming long. I’m learning to trust Him for the outcome. I’m learning that living in expectancy is better then living with expectations. Expectancy is choosing to live in the moment with faith in a secure future. Expectancy is dreaming long while enjoying the journey.

How many of us stop to smell the roses, if I may use that term we’ve all heard? Dreaming long and living in expectancy forces us to walk with God and not run ahead of Him. Great quote about dreaming from one of the Wright brothers.

I got more thrill out of flying before I had ever been in the air at all – while lying in bed thinking how exciting it would be to fly. – Orville Wright

They dreamed big and learned to dream long. Dreams are but the desires of your heart. “Everything that you will ask in prayer and believe, you will receive.” – Matthew 21:22

I confess that in 1901, I said to my brother Orville that man would not fly for fifty years. . . . Ever since, I have distrusted myself and avoided all predictions. –  Wilbur Wright

It is not really necessary to look too far into the future; we see enough already to be certain it will be magnificent. Only let us hurry and open the roads. – Wilbur Wright

Dream big, saints and dream long! Live in the expectancy of today! Believe you will receive! May God grant to us the desires of our hearts!

When Needs Overcome Wants

I don’t know about you but I tend to get frustrated with life at times. How many of us can relate to our needs overcoming our wants? Needs come and come and must be met and met. Wants seldom show up and when they do we rarely get to fulfill them. Now I know what scripture says about needs and wants. Psalm 23 etc. But how many of our wants or desires come to pass…or come to…pass and not stay. I was thinking about how many things I want to do in life and how I don’t see much possibility of them happening. I know with God all thing are possible but how? I want the Promise so bad. So bad I can taste it…the taste of milk and honey.

I have so many wants: traveling, speaking, counseling, inner healing and deliverance sessions along with Sozo sessions. I desire to set people set free and walking in who they are. Not head knowledge but heart knowing.

Then I listened to a Graham Cooke teaching…

He spoke on living with God in the question. Walking with God in the midst of waiting. I think of the difference between Promise and Presence. God promised Israel a land flowing with milk and honey but His Presence was there in the journey. An arduous journey to boot. Moses had the proper perspective. Even with the Promise near he wouldn’t go with Presence.

My needs need to transfigure into glorious stepping stones. My wants need to be there without the gravitational pull of disappointment. For I do have an appointment but until Presence cuts the veil I remain living with God in the present with His Presence with an expectancy of future Promise.

I think that is where I am getting it wrong. Why I’m frustrated. Why I feel like Promise is the carrot on the end of the stick. Interesting scripture in Psalm 103:7 is says God made know His acts to Israel but His ways to Moses. Moses had a backstage pass to what was going on. Sure Moses clearly didn’t get it all right but God trusted Him. I want and need my own Tent of Meetings. A place where perspective is birthed and clarified. A place where I can see God mouth to mouth. A place where Presence sustains while the Promise waits for my arrival. God has given me a name. That name is Possessor. I plan to possess first Presence and then Promise.

Mirror Mirror

Mirror Mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of them all?

How many of us do this every day? We continually seek our identity and validation on other people and things. We look at the Photoshopped world of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest and judge our lives and worth based on other people. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen someone’s post or picture get several comments or likes, while I post the same exact thing and get nothing. How many times have I judged my worth on someone’s recognition or lack of recognition. I started my blog several months ago and someone else I know just started theirs…and theirs has blown up(in a good way). They get all these likes and comments and promotion but I hear or see crickets on mine. I had to check my heart…and my reflection. What part of me am I seeing when I react out of my soul instead of responding out of my spirit. I see myself blocking the post so I don’t have to see it or unfollowing them so my hurt and unresolved rejection isn’t confronted. To be honest I did unfollow. I was envious and jealous. The room of rejection yelled, “SEE NO ONE LIKES YOU!” And I accepted it… Until I dropped back into my spirit and responded with thankfulness that someone is being recognized for their gifts and attributes. There two cents are being heeded and honored and I love it!

I’m going to share something that Jesus showed me a couple weeks ago in a vision(mind’s eye). I was at a Waterboyz for Jesus Boot Camp (based of John Eldredge’s Wild at Heart Boot Camp) and there was a mandatory code of silence to reflect on life and to ask Father God to father me. So I had this picture, vision whatever you want to call it, I was standing in the entrance to my High School’s Cafeteria on my lunch period and surveying the cafe…but first the backdrop. I was never a popular person in High School. I didn’t have a good solid friend or group of friends but I had several acquaintances. I feared every new lunch period because I was never invited to sit with anyone. Never. It was a room screaming rejection and “you don’t fit in.” Frozen with rejection and aimless. So I either sat at the “nerd” table, where one of my acquaintances sat, or some other obscure area. It was awkward. So back to the vision. I saw myself at the entrance to this same cafeteria with rejection screaming “you’re not invited.” Then I saw Jesus…waving me over to his table. He said, “You will always have a seat at my table.” It broke me in the best possible healing way. I have turned to a greater mirror! A mirror that displays goodness and acceptance and redemption and kindness. I love Jesus and how He speaks to our wounded and applies his healing balm. It soothes and replenishes. He is my mirror! He is my reflection! A river that never runs dry and a fragrance that never dissipates. In fact I’m his odor to a rejected and lost world. 2 Corinthians 2:15 says, For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.

I’m going to share several scriptures that speak to mirrors or mirroring and the effect. I’m not going to quote them all but for your reference.

• 2 Corinthians 3:13-15,18
• James 1:23-24
• 1 Corinthians 13:12
• 1 John 3:2
• 1 John 2:6
• Roman 8:18
• 1 John 4:17
• 1 Corinthians 6:17
• John 17:22
• Acts 3:21
• 2 Peter 3:12
• Philippians 2:5-8
  
• Ephesians 1:22-23

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. – 2 Corinthians 3:18

Unveiled faces. We are not like Moses who HAD to cover his face with a veil. Noticed when I talked in the Ten of Meeting he took the veil off. Now with Christ and Him renting the veil in two from top to bottom He, not only gave man access to God, but He gave God access to man! We are image bearers. We carry the image of God on this earth. We are the image of God.

Beholding as in a mirror. What do mirrors do but reflect what is put before them. They don’t make up their own image. We don’t make up our own image. Where do we receive our reflection from? Who do we receive our reflection from? 1 John 4:17 says as He is(currently. not past but now) so are we in this world. The glory given to Jesus by God is transferred to us.

We are being transformed into the same image… What? The same image? “Same” in Greek is autos meaning: the same, himself, in itself it signifies nothing more than again, applied to what has either been previously mentioned or, when the whole discourse is looked at, must necessarily be supplied. “Image” in Greek is eikōn which means: the image of one. Also this verse says we are transformed into the same image. Transformed in Greek is, get this: metamorphoō to change into another form, to transform, to transfigure. To transfigure! The same exact word used to describe Jesus when he metamorphoō on the mount with Elijah and Moses.

1 John 3:2 says, “Beloved, now we are the children of God, and it has not been revealed until now what we are going to be, but we know that when he has been revealed, we shall be in his likeness, and we shall see him just as what he is.” Seeing God, like Moses, has a uncovering of glory that is already within us, locked up in our blood since before Adam fell. Originally we were covered with glory and the radiance of God. Man sinned and that glory was shut up in the body and dwindled to embers…until Jesus breathed upon the disciples thus provided the Oxygen of God upon the ember to ignite and begin the transfiguration process. The more He is revealed the more we will be revealed. Creation is groaning for us Church! We will be like Him because we will see Him. FYI this is pre Second Coming in my opinion according to Acts 3:21. The Beauty of the Bride is in the union with her Husband and Head! We can, by our communion with the Father and submitting to the glorification of us by our seeing Him. We are one spirit with Him – 1 Corinthians 6:17. Co-Heirs. Brothers of Christ. Kings and lords under the King of kings and Lord of lords! Seated together with Christ!

For too long the image I saw was the image I walked out. When I interpret the image incorrectly it will only result of living incorrectly. By the water of word and the Holy Spirit, He can clean our mirror so we can see, unveiled, the Glory of the Lord so we can begin to walk in original design and our original selves.

Prayer:

Father, in Jesus’ name, I ask You to clean our mirrors and remove our veils so we may fully see you and then fully see ourselves. We repent for dismissing our glory, the glory you gave us. We cast our crowns only to have them returned to us purified to then cast them again on your feet. Let us remain in worship at your feet while also communing at your chest in which the revelation of Jesus Christ comes through us so we may truly walk, as Your body, the fullness of You who fills all things in every way. Let us walk as the fullness of You on earth and re-present you to this world. All with the spirit of agape love and true humility, a partner, associate, comrade, and companion of the Divine Nature. Let our mind be the same that was in You, Jesus, according to Philippians 2:5-8. And Lord we know you are the Author and Finisher of our faith and You are the Substance and Hope by which we seek you with all that we are. Thank you for reversing the body, soul, and spirit to spirit, soul, and body. In Jesus name we give you the glory and receive the glory you have given us. We worship and honor You, Almighty God, our Friend. Amen!

What On Earth Do We “Do?”

My last post I talked about our new identity in Christ as a New Creation, which, by the way, was definitely not all of what I could say about it. It would take many, many blogs to fully describe and understand our New Creation selves.

I will now talk a little bit about what we now “do” with this new creation truth about ourselves. I say “do” because it’s not about something we do or a performance we now must act out. In reality is a “being” that we now walk out in our day to day lives. Human beings, not human doings!

One of several scriptures that come to mind is 2 Corinthians 5:20, “so we are Christ’s ambassadors, God making His appeal as it were through us. We, as Christ’s personal representatives, beg you for His sake to lay hold of the divine favor [now offered you] and be reconciled to God.” (emphasis mine)

Represent Christ

We are ambassadors and are meant to re-present Christ to the world. “Greater works than these you will do,” says Jesus in John 14:12. As He is (currently) so are we in this world!  (1 John 4:17)

As New Creations we are now totally and utterly one with Christ, just as Christ is One with our Father. (John 17:21) If this doesn’t blow you away then Romans 8:17 must!

…and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. (NASB) (emphasis mine)

Heirs of God and co or fellow heirs with Christ! This is God’s love and heart for His children and the people of the world. The word heir in Greek is klēronomos, which means one who receives his allotted possession by right of sonship. The word fellow heir is sygklēronomos, which means one who obtains something assigned to himself with others, a joint participant. And these line up with 1 Corinthians 3:9, which says, we are co-laborers, co-workers, fellow workers with God. The word for co-workers in Greek is, synergos, which is where we get our English word synergy from. And what is synergy? Synergy is the interaction of elements that when combined produce a total effect that is greater than the sum of the individual elements, contributions, etc. This speaks directly to John 16:7 where Jesus said, “It is better that I go away so that Another may come and be inside you and we operate in synergy as co-laborers.” (my own paraphrase) I am obviously combining scriptures here but it’s exactly what happens. Now, one can do many things without God, for God and God can do many thing without man but ultimately God want to empower believers to create a synergy between the two to accomplish much more. What else do we “do” on earth?

We are meant to bring the multi-faceted, multi-dimensional, and multi-colorful wisdom of God and display it to the principalities, powers, and wicked rulers in the second heaven.

Ephesians 3:10

¹⁰ [The purpose is] that through the church the ^[a]complicated, many-sided wisdom of God in all its infinite variety and innumerable aspects might now be made known to the angelic rulers and authorities (principalities and powers) in the heavenly sphere. (AMP)

Let our lights so shine before men that they may see the sons of God’s good works and glorify our Father in Heaven. (Paraphrased Matt. 5:16)

Live loved

Ultimately what we “do” on earth is live as much-loved sons of God. Live as we are accepted in the Beloved. The word accepted, in the Greek, means to pursue with grace and compass with favor! We are to “be” much loved sons of God who are pursued by grace and encompassed with favor!

 

Possible Misconceptions, Half-Truths, and Saying Regarding the Bible

As my first official blog, I am going to talk about a few possible misconceptions and possible half-truths that many preach, teach, and talk about. Some are just simple traditions passed down that many don’t bother to look up to see if it’s true or accurate according to what scripture actually says. Some of these are just simple observances and others create absolutely wrong mindsets. How about we venture onto these now…

1.Common response to a leader who sins: “So and so has fallen from grace.”

Let us look at what scripture says falling from grace actually is.

Galatians 5:4

Amplified Bible (AMP)

⁴ If you seek to be justified and declared righteous and to be given a right standing with God through the Law, you are brought to nothing and so separated (severed) from Christ. You have fallen away from grace (from God’s gracious favor and unmerited blessing). (emphasis mine)

Here we see here that falling from grace is trying to be justified by law. Here is another good paraphrased version:

Galatians 5:4

The Message (MSG)

⁴I suspect you would never intend this, but this is what happens. When you attempt to live by your own religious plans and projects, you are cut off from Christ, you fall out of grace. (italics mine)

So what was the law made for?

Romans 5:20-21

Amplified Bible (AMP)

²⁰ But then Law came in, [only] to expand and increase the trespass [making it more apparent and exciting opposition]. But where sin increased and abounded, grace (God’s unmerited favor) has surpassed it and increased the more and superabounded,

²¹ So that, [just] as sin has reigned in death, [so] grace (His unearned and undeserved favor) might reign also through righteousness (right standing with God) which issues in eternal life through Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) our Lord.

2. God changed the Apostle Paul’s name from Saul to Paul.

Nowhere in scripture does it say God changed Saul’s name to Paul. I haven’t heard from anyone when or where God changed his name. It wasn’t at his conversion because in Acts 9:17 Ananias, when praying for Saul’s sight to be restored he called him, Brother Saul. Other references where he was called Saul include: Acts 9:19, 9:22, 24, 26, Acts 11:25, 13:7 etc. Now Acts 13:9 shows when Saul starting going by the name Paul. Saul was his Hebrew name and Paul his Roman name. So my opinion is when after he started his calling to preach to the Gentile, he chose to be called by his gentile/Roman name.

3. God told Noah to take with him two of every animal onto the ark.

This is a half-truth. According to Genesis 7:2,

“You shall take with you seven pairs of every clean animal, a male and his female; two each of animals that are unclean, a male and his female” (emphasis mine)

So in actuality God told Noah to take 7 of every clean animal and two of every unclean animal.

4. The New Testament began in Matt. 1:1, Mark 1:1, Luke 1:1, and John 1:1.

According to Hebrews 9:15-18:

 For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. ¹⁶ For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it. ¹⁷ For acovenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives. ¹⁸ Therefore even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood. (NASB emphasis mine)

So here we see the New Testament/Covenant/Will was not made or put into effect until Jesus Christ died and shed His Blood. Likewise if someone makes a will and delegates an inheritance the recipients cannot receive that inheritance until there is a death. That is why Jesus said it was better that He go away. After His death, burial, and resurrection He then breathed upon the disciples and they received the Holy Spirit.

5. God convicts Christians of sin.

I will preface this with a statement. I have recently run across the belief that God doesn’t “convict” Christians. After hearing the argument it kinda makes sense. I am not making a doctrinal stand on this. This is purely exploring the topic and a possible belief. I don’t think it is something that makes a huge difference but it is an interesting take on the word and what scripture says. Some may say a word doesn’t make that much of a difference, in which I agree mostly, but some word’s meanings make a world of a difference. So here is the belief.

The word convict or elegchō in greek means to bring to light with the suggestion of shame of the person convicted. This is used in about three New Testament scriptures: John 16:8, Titus 1:9, and Jude 1:15 and all these are in relation to ungodly, the world, and unbelievers and not Saints or Believers. The word conviction in English is used to describe the judgment that is put upon a convict or someone guilty of a crime. To convict or bring a conviction is made for convicts. Believers are declared righteous! We have an Advocate with the Father! We are righteous and not convicts anymore. There is another word in greek for conviction and that is plērophoria which means, having a strong belief or opinion on somethingand and elegchōs which means a proof, that by which a thing is proved or tested. This is different than elegchō.

What the Holy Spirit does do for Christians is bring counsel, comfort, holiness, guidance, power, grace, and the fruit and gifts of the Spirit.

To Be Continued