The Fear of the Lord

Here's a good one for you. Open up to Proverbs 2.

(v.2-6): "Make your ear attentive to wisdom, incline your heart to understanding; for if you cry for discernment, life your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will discern the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth comes knowledge and understanding."

What is the fear of the Lord? How do we discern it? 

There are a million different sermons about the Fear of the Lord, but I'll be the first to say that none of them really make any sense to me -- until I heard the Fear of the Lord explained like this. Let me start off by saying that the Fear of the Lord is NOT being afraid of the Lord as if He was angry and was going to destroy you for doing evil things. It's not fear of punishment from Him. It's not really Fear the way we think of fear. So then, what is it?

I'm going to back-track a little bit and go back to Proverbs 2. It says that if we seek wisdom, knowledge, and understanding we will discern the Fear of the Lord. So, lets take a look at them:

Wisdom - Wisdom is knowing what to do. It's the action step. More specifically, it's knowing exactly what God wants you to do in a situation. 

Example: You ask the Lord how you can influence your city for the Kingdom of Heaven, and the Lord tells you to go and pray for the sick. This is a word of wisdom (an action step).

-James 1 declares that if you ask for wisdom, it will be given to you. Wisdom is promised to you by the Lord.

Understanding - Understanding is the "why." It's the explanation behind the action. 

Example: You ask the Lord why you should pray for the sick, and He tells you because that was one way Jesus manifested the Kingdom of Heaven to those around Him, etc, etc...  

-You can have wisdom and simply do what the Lord wants you to do without knowing why you're doing it. You can be a robot and things in your life will still work. The Lord will always build His kingdom whether or not you are ignorant of it. However, the work that the Lord is trying to do will not be established in your life (He will have to keep telling you to do something) until you UNDERSTAND why He's having you do something. When you come into understanding it is cemented into you.

Knowledge - Knowledge is the specific piece of information. 

Example: The Lord tells you to go across the street to the coffee shop and pray for someone named "Bob" to be healed from cancer. 

- A word of knowledge deals with specifics. Once you know the specifics of something you can begin sowing into them on purpose. This will gain you great reward when you not only know what to do and why to do it, but you have the specific information to follow through.

Discernment - if wisdom is knowing what to do in a situation, then discernment is knowing what NOT to do. I'm throwing this in there because it's important. 

Okay, so now that we got those defined, lets take a look back at the Fear of the Lord. According to Proverbs 2, the Fear of the Lord is defined through wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and discernment (like I mentioned above). So, here's the scenario:

The purpose of having wisdom, understanding, and knowledge is to be made FULLY AWARE of what is expected of you. If you seek after all these things you have no excuse not to know what the Lord is wanting from your life. 

 

Realize that in the end you will be held accountable for everything the Lord called you to, whether you were ignorant of it or not.

So the Fear of the Lord is defined like this: Knowing fully what the Lord is expecting of you.

Now, if that doesn't scare the pants off of you, I don't know what will. Get this: if we understand exactly what the Lord wants from us, how willing are we going to be to do it knowing that we will be held accountable for it? I would say there's a good chance we will be fighting for the things the Lord has called us to. That's the Fear of the Lord... because if we know what we have to do and don't do it, we are in deep!

Proverbs is full of exhortations for the pursuit of wisdom, understanding, and knowledge. These are very important things to have in our lives. 

The reason I'm sharing this is because its something that has changed the way I do business with God. The more fully aware of what I'm suppose to do in any situation I'm thrown into is greatly beneficial to me. I know that I won't stray from the path and that in the end I will receive the prize. 

And look at what is promised when we pursue these things (Proverbs 2): 

v.5 - we will discover the knowledge of God! (what greater prize is there??)

v.7 - He will be our shield

v.8 - He will guard our paths

v.10 - wisdom will be in our hearts and it will be good for our souls! (our mind, will, and emotions)

v.11 - we will be delivered from evil

etc...

The list goes on and on. Read through Proverbs sometime and mark anytime the Lord talks about these things.  Trust me, this is something we want to seek and pursue! So... I urge you brethren, to pursue the Fear of the Lord with all your heart, soul, body, mind and strength!

Hearing God's Voice

So this is just a brief snippet I received from the Lord yesterday that is a very simple yet very powerful revelation. 

Now, I'm a full believer that God still speaks to us today and that hearing is voice is a mandatory requirement for a life following Him.  That being said -- I know many people struggle hearing His voice. They wonder, is this just me? Is this the devil speaking? Is it God? How can I tell the difference? Good questions. [Here is a brief reply to this: When God speaks, it will ALWAYS bring life -- If its from the devil, it will ALWAYS bring death and decay. Also, we have the mind of Christ -- so sometimes even if we believe we're "making it up," but it leads to life - the Lord is probably still honoring it!]

However, that's a subject for another day. What I'm going to talk about deals with when you CAN'T hear the voice of the Lord. 

Let's say, for example, you need to ask God a question. "God, what should I do about such and such a situation?" And you hear no response. Empty silence. Nothing. Now, I've been there before. However, I believe that the Lord ALWAYS speaks. He is NEVER silent. So how then do we account for hearing nothing from Him?

The Lord speaks in many ways. Job 33:14 - 16 - "Why do you complain against Him that He does not give an account of all His doings? Indeed, God speaks once, or twice, yet no one notices it. In a dream, a vision of the night, when sound sleep falls on men, while they slumber in their beds, then He opens the ears of men and seals their instruction..." God speaks directly to people, and in visions, dreams, through other people (preachers, friends, etc), through music and books, etc. Take your pick... the Lord is generally trying to fill His people in on what He's doing. 

However, I'm going to put the Lord's "communication" into two main categories or "Ways He Speaks."

1. He speaks plainly -- He speaks so that we can understand 

2. He speaks in parables -- He speaks so that we do not understand

Now, if the Lord is always speaking, yet we do not perceive Him, there is a problem. Lets look at each of the categories.

1. He speaks plainly.

When God speaks plainly and we still don't hear an answer/word from Him, its usually because something is in the way -- i.e. there is a barrier to communication. Now, there is nothing wrong with God, so I tend to believe that the barrier is on our end. 

Here was my situation: I was asking Him a question, and I didn't hear a response from Him. But then He asked me, "Do you really want an answer to that question?" My immediate response was, "Yes, of course I do! That's why I asked, duh." But when I thought about it, I felt my will rise up inside me. I finally realized that, while I was asking the question, deep down inside I didn't really want an answer to it. My own will was preventing me from hearing a response. 

This is what the Lord revealed to me: If we can't hear Him when He is speaking plainly to us, its because our will is in the way. There's something inside our mind, will, and emotions (a stronghold - a wrong pattern of thinking) that is preventing us from hearing what the Lord is saying about us or to us. 

Or, we are distracted. What I mean by "distracted" is that we have our minds/hearts focused on an assumption of what the Lord is saying. We think He's going to respond one way and we wait to hear an answer, and when it doesn't come we get confused and frustrated. But really, we were focusing on an assumption instead of what the Lord was trying to communicate. 

Both of these problems deal with our own mindsets. We have to have a renewed mind in order to understand what the Lord is saying. It takes letting Him deal with our defenses. It's not that God doesn't want to answer your questions... most of the time, its that we don't really want our questions answered.

2. He speaks in parables.

Sometimes God purposefully speaks in a different way so that we will not understand what He's saying. Now, that seems like a ridiculous notion. If God wants us to know what He's saying, why would He purposefully confuse us?

The answer? He's trying to force growth and life to happen inside of us. Proverbs 25:2 describes it like this: "Its the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings to search it out." Jesus often spoke in parables so that the ones who really wanted and were hungry for the truth would search out the meaning in them.

In this case, the Lord is forcing a work of character to happen. He's stretching our ears so that we can hear Him in a new way. He's seeing if we will actually PURSUE His voice. He's begging the question, "Are you pursuing my voice in a new, fresh way? Or are you waiting around for me to speak in an old way?" He's testing, saying "will you pursue me? or will you pursue what's familiar?" 

God is constantly changing up the way He speaks. It seems once we get used to one way, suddenly He's speaking another. But He's keeping us from being stagnant water. He's forcing us into a new realm by hearing His voice. He's teaching us, saying "You can hear me in a season of plenty, but can you hear me in a season of fasting? Will you be able to follow Me if I have you in this place, instead of the other?" He's pushing us into intimacy because His sheep know His voice.

So, that's what the Lord showed me last night while I was talking to Him. I will continue to come back to this subject because over the course of the last year the Lord has been walking me through how to hear Him unconditionally. I can say with confidence that I hear the voice of the Lord very well -- but at the same time He's pushing me to hear Him in a deeper and fresh way. So it's been and will continue to be a process for me. I'm just excited that I can take anyone else on the journey with me. 

Who I Am

Below I've listed some of the things of what God has put in me. My core values, my guiding beliefs, the vision for my life and my mission while I'm on this earth. It should be what you need to know about my perspective.

Here are my four core values that dictate the decisions I make and the way I choose to live my life.
1. God is ALWAYS good. Always.
2. Nothing is impossible (see above).
3. I stand from a place of victory.
4. I am significant.

Here are my guiding beliefs that I will choose to put into practice in my life for the rest of my days:

I. Having correct priorities (in order)--
1. God - my relationship with Him
2. Family - my husband, then my children, then other family
3. Ministry - I'm a Christian first and foremost
4. Job - my responsibility on this earth
5. Recreation & Hobbies

II. Being FULLY dependant on Holy Spirit
1. Living my life as Jesus lived His - a human in right relationship with God, fully dependant on Holy Spirit
2. Walking in Humility - I will know who I am and how great the Lord has made me, and yet I will choose to elevate those around me above myself

III. Everything done in Love.
1. Every word spoken and every action done through the revelation of the Father's heart.
2. God is not angry.

IV. Inheritance
1. Everything I have must be passed off to the next generation in order to consider my life successful.
2. Input and Output - in order to avoid fruitlessness I will build up the "river inside me" but giving out what the Lord gives me

V. Culture of Honor
1. Honor every authority placed in my life in order to stay under the spiritual covering of blessing the Lord has given me.
2. Submission -- come under the mission the Lord has given me through those in authority over me.

VI. Foward moving
1. The Kingdom of God is always advancing, never retreating so I will live my life accordingly.
2. I am always looking to others to work in unity. I am not a one man show.

VII. Kingdom living
1. I will give to the poor and the widows and I will tithe faithfully because I know I am called to be financially blessed in this life and the next.
2. God is never in lack of anything. I should live my life representing Him in such a way.

VIII. Holy Saint, Child of God
1. I am no longer a sinner saved by grace -- I am a Saint and the devil cannot touch me.
2. I am Holy and set apart -- I am Spiritual Royalty. I have the keys to the Kingdom.

These are the lenses through which I view the world:
1. Prophet-- The Prophetic lense: The Lord is speaking. He is revealing His heart. My job is to declare who the Lord is to a world that doesn't know Him. Period.
2. Priest -- The Worship lense: I am created to worship so it is what I will do through my life, my love, and my song. I will forever sit at His feet and minister to Him in worship and adoration for all of my days.
3. King -- The Apostolic lense: Everything is done in my life to change the world. I am a world changer. I am called to effect the kings of this world and disciple nations.
[Jesus was a Prophet, a Priest, and a King. So am I.]

My Vision (my ultimate destination in this life):I am one who has an intimate relationship with God to change the world for Him through a life of worship and stewardship.

My Mission (should I choose to accept it --my movement towards the vision):
1. To have a close and personal relationship with God
2. To prepare His bride to be pure and spotless
3. To affect the world with His kingdom.

Pieces of Him

Here's something the Lord showed me the other day. It was one of those things where I was prophecying over someone and this just kept coming out. Do you ever have those moments when after you're finished saying something you think, "Man, that was good. I better write that down!" That's Holy Spirit.

I was sitting on a hammock at my friend's house about a week ago just talking to God. I wasn't having the greatest day of my life so I knew I needed a pep-talk from my Father. One of my friends noticed that I was all by myself so he came over and sat next to me. Normally I would have been kind of annoyed, but I could tell that the Lord was up to something. My friend started talking to me about different things, nothing too deep... but then the Lord began speaking to me about him. I was prompted to ask him why he had red hair (he had red hair, by the way). He looked at me very confused for a moment and then laughed and answered, "Because it's a dominant gene." But the Lord was saying more. I was again prompted to ask him, "No, but why do you have red hair? I mean spiritually speaking." He seemed confused, so I continued. Here's what came out.

Every person carries a different manifestation of the glory of the Lord (pieces of Himself --who He is). We each contain a different part of Him. Most of the time we think about the things (gifts, talents, etc.) that the Lord gives us as "Oh, He just had so much extra He gave us some." But that isn't how it works. God chose to give each person a piece of Himself. A piece of His glory with which we become the stewards.

That's not all -- the best part is that we usually manifest God's spiritual glory in a physical way. The Lord mentioned to me that the reason my friend had red hair was because He carried the passion of the Lord as his piece of the glory (red = passion; hair = glory). My friend seemed to agree with the word and took it to heart. After he left I began thinking about what I had just experienced.

I began to disect it. Someone has red hair because they carry the Lord's passion as part of their mission in life. God didn't just give him red hair because it was genetic. He designed every part of him to somehow relate back to God.

Take me, for example. I've known for a long time that my name held specific meaning. My name literally means "God is Gracious." However, I realized that day that God actually gave me a piece of Himself manifest in my physical name. I carry the Grace of the Lord. I've been previously told by the Lord on several occassions that my mission/purpose in this life is to be a steward of His grace for others. I never made the connection that the way I was physically created had anything to do with the spiritual purposes God created me for. I just figured, "Hey, I look this way because my Mom looks this way!" [I Love you, MOM =)]

It also got me thinking about one time when I asked the Lord why I had such broad shoulders (since, as a girl, I figured it was a little annoying -- though great for sports!) He had explained to me at the time that it was because I was design to carry others burdens before the Lord and lay them at His feet. At the time I thought, "That's nice... but it doesn't help me." Over the years I've constantly asked the "Potter" why he made me like I am... and usually I'd get the same kind of response. "You were made with your hands and feet this way because of this supernatural reason, etc..." I've only now begun to put it together.

God didn't make anything about me on accident.

Everything about me -- from my name, the way I look, the gifts talents that I have, and even the sound of my voice was created with a reasoning behind it. I was created to manifest the glory of the Lord is a way specifically my own. WOW.

Read Psalm 139. Don't just browse it, though -- meditate on it. If you can imagine all the grains of sand on the OCEAN floor and realize that what it is saying in this passage is that God's thoughts about your life -- the way you'd look, what you'd do, who you'd meet -- outnumber those grains... you'd think twice about your life.

Here's my point -- we were created with a purpose. Therefore, we should live with a purpose. We should live our lives intentionally... not as if anything about us was accidental.

A month or so ago I wrote a blog about identity. This is the biggest thing you will ever face in your life. Seriously. Begin asking the Lord why you were created the way you were -- I bet that he'll begin to show you who you really are and what you're calling is simply by pointing you to the mirror. It's a very humbling thing.

This is my favorite quote now (I don't remember who wrote it but I read it somewhere... so if you know please remind me!): "You aren't allowed to hate any part of you because you didn't make you. If you had made you, you could hate you. But you're the work of someone else's hand - so, sorry, but you don't get to hate anything about you."

Seriously take some time to think about this one -- begin living your life with a purpose knowing that you were created that way. I think it will rock your world.

Need a blessing? Here's a tip.

Do you need healing in your body?
Do you need financial provision?
Do you need protection from the enemy in your spiritual walk?
Well let me tell you about a miracle cure for all these that ail you.

No, I'm not trying to sell you some gimicky product. I'm trying to sell you a Biblical principle that will change your life. Interested? Read on!

In my last post I talk about living out of a Royal mindset and not out of a Pauper-based mindset. We should realize that we have the Kingdom of Heaven and the riches of a King at our fingertips and that we are in lack of nothing. We represent a God who has no lack or need.

However, here is another financial issue that is huge. And when I mean huge, I mean HUGE. It has to do with giving to the poor.

Let's take a look at Matthew 19 -- the story of the rich young ruler. Now, if we notice in the story, the rich man is also a very moral man. How do we know this? Because he tells us that he has kept all the laws. Basically, he is your average church going Christian of today. Well, that, and he's very wealthy. He asks Jesus what he can do in order to receive eternal life. Jesus' response? Sell all your possessions and give to the poor.

Why did Jesus respond that way? Because Jesus saw the bondage that was in the man's heart. He saw that the man held and trusted more closely to his earthly possessions in this life than he ever could to the possessions of the Kingdom of Heaven (which is a severe bondage, indeed). Jesus was telling him that in order to step into eternal life, he had to leave one life to embrace another.

Notice that Jesus didn't tell the rich young ruler that he couldn't keep his money. He told him to sell his possessions and give to the poor. Not "sell everything you own and give it all away so you have nothing." Jesus wasn't planning on leaving the guy a poor man himself! Jesus wanted to rid the man of the root of greed in his heart.

Jesus was saying, "I want you fully abandoned to me! I want you to SELL OUT."

There is a root of greed in our hearts when it comes to our money. Mainly it stems from us not really knowing who our financial backer is (it's God, by the way, if you haven't read the previous post). Our ability to trust in our money more than in God is a bondage that holds many of us.

If you want to see how far it has you gripped, there's a simple test. When you come up to a stoplight and you see a beggar on the side of the road with a sign asking for money... how do you react on the inside? Do you grimace? Do you begin thinking of all the excuses not to give money? "Oh, he'll probably just spend it on beer or drugs." "Well, I do have to use this money to pay a bill...." or "Someone else will take care of it."

If you've had these thoughts you're not alone (and this includes me, let me tell you!). But what I've come to learn, however, is that there is a bondage in our hearts that we don't even realize. And the only way to get rid of it is to give away what we have. (This also relates to spiritual principles -- remember when Paul talks about us being doers of the word and not hearers only, thus deceiving ourselves? We become deceieved when we learn something from the Lord and we don't give it away to help someone else. You'll see why in a minute).

The only way to remove the bondage from our hearts is to give away what we have. I know a guy who is so convicted by this that if he is approached by someone on the street asking for money, and he even grimaces on the inside a little, he'll give double what he was going to give in order to weed that bondage out of him. But another point I've noticed is that this man already made the decision in his heart to give of ANYONE who asked. He had a core value that already made the decision for him. It's the kind of value we need on the insides of us.

Jump over with me to Ephesians 4:28. Let me ask a question... When does a theif no longer become a theif? We would say, "Well, when he earns his keep!" but Paul goes a step further and says, "...he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need." You stop becoming a theif when you've earned and GIVEN AWAY that which you have.

So, we know that giving to the poor is the way to break off the stronghold of greed in our lives. But there are a great many things associated with giving to the poor -- such as blessing, protection, and even healing.

Look at Isaiah 58:6 - Listen to what the Lord says -- "Is this not the fast which I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free and break every yoke? Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry and bring the homelss poor into the house; when you see the naked, to cover him; and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then your light will break out like the dawn, and your recovery will speedily break forth; and your righteousness will go before you; the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard..." etc. etc. (quick note: living a "fasted" lifestyle has really nothing to do with giving up food or living like a poor man... but it DOES have to do with providing for those in need. That is the fast that God has chosen for us -- to be giving away what we have).

Did you notice the promises? If you break off the yoke of oppression and feed the hungry (give to the poor, etc)... there are several things that will happen.
1. Your light will shine forth. You will become a beacon of hope and blessing to all those around you.
2. Your recovery will speedily break forth. You are promised to be healed if you give to the poor.
3. The glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. You are promised supernatural protection from the enemy (both physical and spiritual). If you keep reading in Isaiah 58 you'll notice that he continues about how protected you'll be against any evil coming your way.

Even more so, there is another blessing associated with giving to the poor. Jump over to Proverbs 19:17 - "One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the Lord, and He will repay him for his good deed."
4. You will be repayed in full for whatever you give. Not only that, but you'll get riches in heaven because the poor can't pay you back on earth. (Think about this -- even the tithe and offerings come back to you in the natural. However, a poor man can't repay... so the Lord sees and HE repays. How awesome is that?"

Here's a story to prove my point: My Pastor was going on a trip to Argentina. Now, he didn't have the finances to pay for his trip. We (the interns) were with him on our way up to a conference. My Pastor has the value in his heart to give to whoever asks... he also understands the principle that if you have a $1,500 bill to pay and you only have $500 in your account, you might as well take the $500 and give to the poor because its not enough to pay your bill anyway and the Lord repays. So we pull up to a stoplight and there's a beggar there. My Pastor rolls down the window and hands the man all the money in his wallet (a hefty sum!), knowing that it won't be enough to pay for his trip anyway. Later on at the conference, he receieved over $650 from random people who told him that the Lord prompted them to give. It was enough to pay for his trip.

Giving to the poor is a necessity to a healthy Christian lifestyle. It's not just for the church's benevolence offering (which is great, by the way). It's not just for those rich people who can afford it. We're all called to walk in the ability to give to those in need. And if we do, it comes with a promise.

Let me briefly recap:

Need healing in your body? Give to the poor. (In Psalms 41 it is promised that you WILL NOT die of health issues if you are faithful in giving to the poor).
Need protection from spiritual oppression? Give to the poor.
Need a financial blessing or provision in your life? Give to the poor.
And, as a bonus: it will rid you of the root of greed in your life.

This is a very critical principle. I've began applying it to my own life and I'm astonished at the results. The more money I give, the more I seem to have (and mysteriously, even... because I don't know where its coming from!!). The more money I give, the less problems in my spiritual walk. The more money I give, the healthier I've been. I'm serious. This really does work. The Lord cares about the poor. And He cares about His children. If He's provided for you, go and provide for someone else. Do it! I dare you.

And remember - we have to die to live. We have to give to keep. As Misty Edwards says, "It's the inside-outside-upsidedown Kingdom."

Living Like Financial Royalty

Over the past several months I have come to a very important realization -- I am spoiled.

When people hear that, they often shudder. Images come to mind of rotten little kids throwing a tatrum in the middle of a grocery store until their parents submit and give them the candy they've been screaming for. The idea of being "spoiled" always puts a bad taste in our mouths.

However, may I propose that it shouldn't? May I even go so far as to suggest that we begin living as spoiled children? I'm not suggesting that we become rude, selfish, and self-absorbed... but I'm talking of a Kingdom principle.

I have found that in my life I have never (not even once) found myself in lack of anything. I'm speaking in terms of everything from spiritual, to physical, to especially financial areas of my life. Have I always been able to buy anything on a whim? No. But that is not the definition of "not being in lack." I have always had every need provided for abundantly.... and I could never explain it until now.

People constantly bring their problems before me -- especially their financial problems. The common theme played out before my eyes is "if I only had a little more money I could do more for the Kingdom" or "I don't have enough money to do the things God's called me to do." It all revolves around not having enough.

Here is my point: The mindset of "not having enough" is the mindset of a Pauper. If you find yourself constantly worrying about where the next bill is coming from, or how you're gonna to finance your life, or how if you only had more money you'd be okay... you're living like a poor man in the kingdom of a rich man.

You're living below your birthright.

You were born into Royalty. You are the Son or Daughter of a King. That makes you a Prince or a Princess. How did you become one? You married the Son of the King most High. God is your Father. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. Get this: YOU DON'T NEED ANYTHING.

You have the right and the obligation to live out of a spoiled mindset -- out of the idea that you can have anything of Heaven at your hands right now. You only have to access it by faith. You have the right and the obligation to write the check first, and say, "Don't worry, my Dad will take care of it." You have the right and obligation to give abundantly to those who really are in need (which is an important subject that I will post about next).

When you're walking around in your daily life, you represent a God who has no lack or need. So why do you live like you have lack and need?

I'm telling you -- the provision will very rarely come first. It starts with the mindset that you have everything at your beck and call. That includes angels for spiritual matters (like healing -- God's servants can be sent at your whim to heal whomever you ask for.. did you know that?)

Some people get offended when I talk like that simply because they think being a Christian means living poor and "humble." Did you know that what most people consider as "humility" is really insecurity? It's false humility. It's actually Pride. Humility comes when you have a correct understanding of who you are and what you deserve (it requires good self-esteem) and yet you choose to take less and honor others above yourself. That's humility. Remember, it doesn't honor the artist to demean the painting. Living poor and humbly means knowing that you deserve all the riches of the Kingdom of Heaven, and yet when the check comes you take half of it and give it to the poor. That is humility.

Know that you have the riches of the Kingdomo of Heaven (according to HIS riches in glory!) available to you at all times.

To not live out of an understanding that you have financial freedom is to live out of a mindset of Greed. You hoard what you have because you don't know if there is more coming. That kind of living is how the world gets a grip on you. It's that precise thinking that the Lord warns about when He says that you can't love God and Mammon. You can't serve a God who has given you everything when you think there isn't enough... because you aren't trusting Him to provide -- you're trusting your paycheck.

When I decided to go into "full-time ministy" people would always tell me, "Wow you must really be living by faith (financially)!" Which is true... I do trust God for my paycheck. But at the same time, are they assuming that someone who works a 9-5 job isn't living by faith? Everyone lives by faith financially. The problem is they're either having faith in God to provide for them, or they're having faith that they're paycheck will cover all their needs. They're either trusting God, or they're trusting money. My theory is that the paycheck will never be enough. My theory is that God will always be enough.

And lastly, like I said earlier -- the provision rarely comes first. What I mean is that if you are waiting to give to the poor, or to do something you feel the Lord is calling you to do until the "money appears in your bank account," please think twice. Realize that you're called to live like royalty and that you can write the check first, in faith, knowing your Dad has your back.

I've had countless encounters with people telling me that they had no money to do something they knew the Lord was calling them to do, so they "wrote the check" anyway, and immediately were "backed up" with miraculous finances. God, the King, doesn't leave His kids in the dust. He has no problem promoting people and giving them riches and wealth -- but He won't give it to people who aren't ready. Meaning -- He won't give it to you if you think like a pauper. He'll give it to you when you're ready to think like a King.

Prophecy Q's

This one is pretty long, I agree -- but it's got some valuable information regarding something very important so read it if you can!

Last night I came across a situation (or, more specifically, a person) that brought me back to a rather controversial topic in the church these days... the idea of Prophets and prophecy.

First of all, do I think Prophets exist today? Yes. I think they're needed. I think for a time they "went out of style," you could say -- but I do believe the Lord is bringing back the 5-fold ministry to the church. Instead of a "board" leading a church (which, in my opinion, is an entirely unbiblical way to run a church anyway), the Lord is bringing the church back to rulership under the Apostle and Prophet. He's restoring both, by the way.

Now, what is a Prophet? I don't believe that we can count the Prophets of today in the same category as the Old Testament Prophets. Why? Because of one simple thing: Jesus. I'm under the impression that if you can't find something portrayed in Jesus' life, it's illegal to use. Example, if Jesus didn't preach the doom and gloom message of the Old Testament, but preached the "favorable year of the Lord" -- then we can't look at the Old Testament and say "God is all about doom and gloom." He's not. Why? Because Jesus said that He wasn't. So Prophets today won't typically carry the same message as Old Testament Prophets. They're role is to be in charge of the Bride and prepare her to be pure and spotless with the washing of the Word. They use revelation from heaven ("prophecy") to bring forth the realities of heaven onto earth for the purpose of the Bride. A Prophets role today is to reveal the heart of God to His children.

Now that brings me to the concept of prophecy. Prophets prophecy, obviously. However, prophecy and the office of a Prophet are two completely different things. Prophecy is the revelation of heaven available to everyone, while a Prophet is a specific person called to be at the head of the church using prophecy to help the body of Christ. Everyone in the church is called to prophecy. Everyone. But not everyone is called to be a Prophet.

Prophecy, though, is a spiritual gift sorely needed today. It's purpose is to hear from heaven on behalf of another (or, on occasion, on behalf of a church,etc.) and release grace and life to that person. If you look at 1 Corinthians 14, prophecy is for edification, exhortation, and comfort. Basically, for an individual to prophecy means that they are speaking out "revelations from the Lord" in order to build someone up, call someone near to God, or comfort them (i.e. "the Lord really loves you and He's wanting to bless your life!"). But not all prophecy has to be "the Lord sayeth.." -- it's as easy as telling someone they have nice teeth! Seriously! I've seen many people prophecy without even knowing they were doing it. Prophecy is amazing and life-building and everyone in the church should be pursuing it. After all, what's wrong with having someone tell you how amazing you are and calling out into reality the dreams of your heart? In my opinion, nothing! It's great! We need more of it in the church today.

Now, prophecy can get a little confusing because you'll find people saying things like, "I think such-and-such an event is going to happen in the future, etc..." and people are wary of prophecy because if the event doesn't happen, they get confused and think people are crazy. There are two different kinds of prophecy's beside those meant to build someone up (remember: prophecy is used for edification, exhortation, and comfort) - they are foretelling and forthtelling. Foretelling is to know the future (i.e. "I believe the Lord is saying that financial blessing is coming your way" -- this tells the future and still keeps in line with edification, exhortation, and comfort); while forthtelling is to cause the future to happen (i.e. saying that someone is about to receive financial blessing actually causes the grace to be released in their life for financial blessing to come -- basically, the Lord will cause the blessing because someone declared it). This can all get kind of confusing, but if you remember that no matter what if you're prophecying or someone else is prophecying, what is being said should either cause another to be encouraged, to draw near to the Lord, or to be comforted. Stick with these guidelines and you'll be okay. (Also note: prophecy is different than word of knowledge -- if you read Treasure Hunt testimonies, we get those by word of knowledge not prophecy; though a prophecy can come out of a word of knowledge. For more info check my "resources" info at the bottom of this post).

However, there are many ways to prophecy can and has been abused. For example, preaching a doom and gloom message that God is angry? Not okay. Why? Because Jesus changed all that. Prophecy should come out of a heart of love and an understanding that God loves His children. Also, calling out sin in someone's life? NOT OKAY. Under no circumstances should someone be calling out the negative stuff in your life (i.e. "I see Satan is using you for this..." or "I know you've been struggling with pornography..." or "the Lord says He's going to deal with your anger problem..." Bad bad bad!) or giving you direction (i.e. "The Lord is telling you to read your Bible more!"). Not okay. Let me repeat: NOT OKAY. I've seen so many people hurt by churches or individuals who called out sin in their lives or gave them directions claiming they were "from the Lord" and it only caused havoc. I'm under the impression that prophecy should be confirming something the Lord already told you or at the very least bringing you life. Now, Prophets are a little different in that they have a role of authority so they can sometimes give directional words or point out specific areas of your life, but they still should never be calling out sin in your life in a way that makes you uncomfortable. But someone who does not hold the office of a Prophet and is simply prophecying over you should NEVER give a directional word (without a relationship with you and having submitted it to an authority like a Pastor or a Prophet) or should under any circumstances call out sin in your life. It can be very damaging to a person, which is the opposite of what prophecy is meant to do.

Let me state this, however: prophecy is very powerful. It can literally change a person's life. Prophecy in itself reveals the dreams of someone's heart and actually releases grace for someone to step into their calling. 1 Corinthians 14:24-25 says "But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all; the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you." This is not talking about revealing his sins. Its the LOVINGKINDNESS of the Lord that leads to repentence. A non-believer walks into a room, and suddenly everyone in there is telling him how awesome he is and that the Lord wants to fulfill the deep dreams of his heart he's never told anyone before (and how did they know he wanted to be a chef all his life, anyway?) -- you can guess that this guy is going to think about how much God really loves him. Prophecy truly is a remarkable thing if its used correctly.

However, it can be used for manipulation. This leads me to another point: False Prophets.

We know that in the end times the Lord will pour out His spirit on all flesh and all with prophecy and perform signs and wonders. But we also know that there will be specific people called to prophecy who will lead people astray (also known as False Prophets - but remember Prophets hold an office while everyone else is called to prophecy. At the same time, however, someone who is prophecying who is not a Prophet may use prophecy to manipulate someone, so these can apply to them, too). So, then, how will we be able to identify a False Prophet from a real Prophet?

Let me tell you one thing: a False Prophet is NOT someone who prophecy's incorrectly. Let me repeat -- it is NOT someone who prophecy's incorrectly. Sometimes real Prophets get things wrong. People hear things wrong all the time -- no big deal. So if a False Prophet prophecy's correctly, what exactly makes them False?

A False Prophet is someone who uses their gifting to manipulate people into following them. A real Prophet will always lead you to God. A False Prophet will always lead you to themselves. It's about them prophecying out of the wrong motives of the heart. Remember when Jesus described "wolves in sheep's clothing?" These are the kind of people He's talking about. It takes real discernment to pick them out sometimes -- that's why Jesus warns us not to be deceived. Typically, though, they can be spotted with a certain amount of accuracy if you know what to look for...

Here are some tips: If you get uncomfortable about the way they talk about themselves (i.e. right away they identify themselves as "Hey, I'm a Prophet. Listen to me!"), chances are something is fishy. This doesn't necessarily mean they are a False Prophet, but typically Prophets are pretty humble and will not come right out and identify themselves. After all, they are the friends and servants of God. A general rule: They should talk about God more than they talk about themselves.

Here's another IMPORTANT ONE -- if they don't belong to a home church and have people keeping them accountable (i.e. they wander from church to church proclaiming the "word of the Lord" like a "lone Prophet") something is definately wrong. Prophets should always be connected to the body of Christ through a home church. No Prophet is a one man "God-show."

Also, beware of Prophets who put on the "God-show." Meaning that all they care about is the big prophecy's from stage and amazing healings and things like that. Those things are great and most Prophets will probably get a chance to do them -- but if they care more about the show and about drawing attention to themselves than to God, there's a problem. I'm under the impression that any person (especially a Prophet) cares just as much about taking out the trash at their church as they do about getting someone out of a wheelchair.

Another thing to look out for is "parking-lot" prophecy. Now, I'm generally under the impression that when a Prophet or anyone else is giving you a word it should be done in a private manner -- but at the same time there should be room for other people to have their impute (remember: "Let two or three prophecy and the rest judge"). Others should be allowed impute or confirmation on a word given to you. If a Prophet chases you out to the parking lot after the service and waits until no one else is around to prophecy something relating to your sin or its a directional word (and it causes you not to share it with anyone else), beware. Most real Prophets know how to keep themselves and others accountable for the words they give.

And, of course, if they are constantly saying "the Lord sayeth" without leaving room for interpretation (i.e. they make everything they say "directly from the Lord so you should do everything they say") something is also fishy. Most real Prophets know the Lord really well so they can speak pretty confidently about what He's saying, but if someone tells you "the Lord says you should marry this person" and manipulates you into believing you should without letting anyone else have any confirmation -- something is definately a little sketchy. Note this: God always confirms the words He gives - either in scripture or through several witnesses.

Finally, their character should match their ministry. If you know them personally or can hear someone speak about them personally, and their character (what they do when no one is around) doesn't match up with the things they preach -- its a problem.

But remember, someone prophecying a wrong word over you doesn't make them wicked hearted or false or anything like that, even if it's a Prophet. People get things wrong. If something doesn't sit right with you, feel free to pray about it or "flush it," as we like to say.

And of course, you shouldn't freak out when someone starts to prophecy over you -- not all Prophets are False Prophets and not all prophecy's will be wrong. My point in writing this is to let you know that prophecy is real and that real Prophets do exist today, and they are awesome! But I'm also wanting people who are wary of this sort of thing to know that there are people out there who will leave a bad taste in your mouth. It shouldn't cause you to forget that God has real servants here who want to love you and help you into your calling.

And also, even if you never run into a real Prophet (or False one, for that matter), everyone should be pursuing the gift of prophecy. Prophecy is an awesome, awesome gift and it is truly needed in the church today. There are a lot of broken people who don't know their identity in Christ, and prophecy can help identify what the Lord is saying to and about people. Seriously, eagerly desire this one!

Anyway, I thought I should share this simply because last night while I was prophecying over a group of people I ran into a Prophet-type who was a little sketchy to me and I know that in these days this is going to get more and more common in the church (prophecy and Prophets, I mean, not necessarily sketchy ones -- but perhaps those too). So I thought I'd address some main points about prophecy, Prophets and False Prophets and what the difference is between them and what you should look for (or look out for!) when it comes to these things.

I have met and know several real Prophets very well and I can attest to their powerful ministry and stand up character. I also know a ton of non-Prophets who can prophecy at amazing accuracy and have personally given me some of the best affirming words of my life! So this stuff definately exists out there, and I want to let you know to be aware of it and to pursue it. I've been dealing with prophecy and Prophets for a while now and I have many examples of both good and bad prophecy (and I've run into both good and bad Prophets) so if you have any questions, comments, or concerns - email me or leave a comment. Blessings!

Recources:
This stuff will become more prevalent in these last days-- so be sure you know your stuff!

• A really good book that teaches how to prophecy correctly is A Call To War by Kris Vallotton (He's one of the Prophets out at Bethel Church in Redding, CA)
• This is a great blog post about prophecy if you're looking to learn more about it than what I've said here: http://jesusencounter.wordpress.com/2007/09/03/prophetic-guidlines/ (this mentions more info about word of knowledge vs. prophecy)
• A really good article about the nature of prophecy can be found here: http://www.jba.gr/1-Corinthians-14-prophecy.htm
• Wanna learn how to prophecy? Here's a quick lesson: To get a word for a specific person is very easy. One really good way to get a prophecy for someone is to picture Jesus sitting next to that person and ask yourself, "What would Jesus say to them if they were having a conversation?" Then listen for a response. Usually what comes to mind after you've asked that question is your prophecy. If it's something negative, try to put it into a positive spin. For example, if you get "I'm releasing you from such-and-such a sin" you could say "I believe the Lord is going to bring restoration into your life!" Another good way is as simple as asking God this: "Lord, what can I say to this person that lets them know that you love them and have a plan for them?" or simply, "Lord, show me how to love them." Don't over analyze your thoughts, either. Even if you get a word in your head like "Jesus loves you," and you think it's a silly word - just remember that you only see and prophecy in part. You'll never know the full story or see the full impact of your word unless you tell it to them!! I've had many seemingly "silly" words come into my mind but when I spoke them to the person they've broken down in tears praising the Lord.

Testimony

Last night at our prayer room there was a group of us watching the movie Finger of God (which, by the way, if you haven't seen -- GET IT!! It will shatter your religious box), and the spirit of healing fell over us. 

We began to pray for one another for healing and almost everyone who got prayer was completely healed! It was incredible. We saw shoulder injuries, neck problems, and heart problems among others being healed... Even I got healed!

My right knee has always been slightly bow-legged and it hasn't usually bothered me except that it causes my right foot to turn outwards at an angle and it messes up my balance. I was working out the other day and I hurt my knee doing lunges, so I was in some pain when I went to the prayer room. After watching the movie and seeing everyone get healed I asked my friends to pray for my knee that it would stop hurting (I was just expecting the pain to go away). 

But when they began praying for me I felt heat like fire in my knee and a strange, almost indescribably tingling feeling start shooting out from my kneecap. Then the weirdest thing happened -- my kneecap started shifting over!! I freaked out and my friend told me to stand up and test out my knee. When I did I noticed that my right knee wasn't crooked anymore, but it was completely straight in line with my other knee. When I tried walking I also noticed that my balance had shifted and my right foot didn't turn out when I walked.

The Lord completely rearranged my knee. He totally straightened and restored my balance to me! It was awesome! I now completely enjoy walking around. =)

The Lord is doing a new work! I'm excited to see what He's got up His sleeve in the future. Hopefully I'll be able to find some way of updating this or getting a "testimony" page for future testimonies. 

Revelations 19:10 says that the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. That basically means that what He did for someone else, He'll do for you! Hallelujah!

What It Takes

I heard a phrase today that struck me... "If you want a movement, get moving."

Revival is here. We're in the midst of it. But its come down to action. We can't just pray for it anymore -- we have to open our eyes and see that its all around us. He's all around us. But He's not where we think He is. He's not in church (well, He is), He's out on the streets calling to His lost Treasure. He's out in the darkest places of this world waiting for one person to say "yes!" He's looking for His lost sheep. 

So many people say they want revival, but they don't really want it. Revival is messy. It's not politically correct. It's not normal. Jesus was the most normal Christian in the Bible, and He was radical. He was messy. He was politically incorrect. But Jesus didn't suffer through all of the things He suffered through just so that we could do church. He suffered in the dirt with sweat and blood in order to find those who are in the dirt, sweating and dying. He died a messy death to produce a people willing to get messy to find Him. He's looking for followers who are willing to do the same. He's looking for people willing to GO and sacrifice to bring His kingdom.

It's not about church anymore. It's about living radical lifestyles willing to go way out of the box in order to find the kingdom of God. It's about selling out. If we give anything less, what we find won't be worth it. 

God is looking for people who don't just "go to church," but who are the church. Who aren't bored by the lives they live -- but who spend their time getting people out of wheelchairs by the power and love of Christ. After all, no one who's raised someone from the dead is going to tell you that "Christianity is boring and irrelevant." 

Our lives are about action. About GOING. About bringing the power and love of God into the world around us and declaring that His kingdom is here. We have to be willing to get messy. We have to not care about being politically correct. We have to be DESPERATE. Desperate people see the kingdom.

It's about being fully abandoned. Being fully unashamed. Being fully capable of laying down our "grids" about who God is and what He is doing -- about not saying that "God is normal, so He wouldn't do that." It's about admitting that God isn't normal, He'll do whatever He wants, and He'll do crazy things to get the Treasure He's fought so hard for... even if it means being messy, or ridiculous, or out of the religious box. 

What it takes to REALLY live this "Christian" life is being willing to take God home with you. It means being willing to take God to the grocery store, or to the gym, or to school with you. It's not just about leaving Him at church or at your quiet times... it's about bringing His kingdom IN YOUR HEART to the darkest reaches of the people around you. Then, and only then, will true revival happen in this world. It's not about keeping God in the church. It's about getting Him out to the kingdom of this world through power and love. 

What it takes to bring revival is you. 

Be willing to go out of the box. 

(My favorite quote)

"I wouldn't cross the state line to tell you about my religion, but I'd crawl on my hands and knees on glass - go to Hell and back - to tell you about the love of my Savior."

Treasure Hunters

My whole perspective on life has been changed today. You would think that I had some major revelation of God's heart, or that I was baptized in fire, or something extremely religious and godly happened and now I am forever a better person... nope. I played a game. 

It's called The Ultimate Treasure Hunt.

Here's how it works: You get a group of three or four individuals together. You have a prayer meeting. At the end of the prayer meeting each person gets a piece of paper (a "treasure map") and begins to ask God for specific words of knowledge ("clues") about people they will encounter as they go out into the community. Then, you jot down the clues (things like, "green shirt" or "blond hair" or "John" or "knee problems" or "keychains") on your "treasure map." After you've spent a couple minutes writing, you join up with your group and you compare notes and hit the streets in search of your Ultimate Treasure (the person who the Lord wants to encounter).

It's like a real life mystery. The Lord gives you specific clues about people He wants you to meet and influence, either with blessing or prayer or miraculous healing. Then, you go and find them! After all, its the glory of God to hide a matter, and the glory of kings to search it out (Proverbs 25:2)! 

Today a few of my friends and I decided to become treasure hunters. We prayed and worshipped for a little while, then we created our treasure maps. We all were incredibly unsure of how accurate our maps really were. Essentially, you're just writing down words and phrases that come into your head. You don't really know if they're from the Lord or if you're a lunatic -- but it's all a step of faith in the end (and sometimes the Lord will anoint your thoughts -- after all, we have the mind of Christ!! That's a story for a different day). But with anticipation and fears all bundled into some kind of massive hay-bale in our stomaches -- we set off for Target.

Now, we had various ridiculous words on our treasure maps. Some of mine were "eggs" and "orange tie" which never amounted to anything. Other clues did produce a Treasure, however,  only to have the Treasure reject our request of blessing. One of the words I had on my list was "injured wrist" and sure enough, in the shoe section, was a lady who had a cast on her wrist. When we ask if we could pray for her, her daughter boldly stated that "you have your beliefs and we have ours" and asks if we would kindly let them shop. So much for that.

Another lady was for sure our treasure, since several of my friends had gotten "blue button-down shirt" and "knee problems" as clues, only for us to find a lady grocery shopping wearing a blue button-down shirt and limping with knee problems. When we approached her she even added that it "fit her to a T." Unfortunately, she turned down our request to pray for healing but added that she would pray for us. 

Two other even adamantly denied that they were Treasures, giving us flat out rejection of our attempts to bless and heal them with a sharp "No!" and "I'm not a Treasure." 

However, we were determined to succeed in getting a Treasure before we left. So we kept looking. 

We were headed over to the "video game section" (another clue) when we stopped to check out the sunglasses. As we were goofing around, I overhead a conversation that caught my attention. Two apparent friends had run into each other while shopping, and one stopped to ask the other, "How's your brother doing?" I looked over to see who was talking and I saw that the lady who asked the question was standing in the middle of the jewelry section next to a stand with a pink watch inside, talking to a blond-haired young woman wearing a green sweatshirt. Now, normally this wouldn't be anything to get into a stir about - but when you have a treasure map pointing the way to a God-encounter that has the clues "blond-haired woman," "jewelry section," "green sweatshirt," "pink watch," and "brother needing prayer," things become a whole lot more interesting!

We approached the young woman and asked if we could pray for her (I later got a word of knowledge that she was a waitress and asked her if she was -- and she confirmed she was, in fact, a waitress -- then I was able to tell her that God knew her and cared for her). She accepted our prayer even though she admitted she "wasn't religious" and "didn't go to church." So we prayed for her and prophesied over her the destiny and grace she had on her life, and even though she walked away slightly taken aback, the peace of God left with her. 

It was awesome! It changed my perspective on how we do things... meaning how we minister to people. God is about love, friends. The only commandments He gave were "Love Me" and "Love Others." I used to hate the idea of "evangelizing" because it meant you had to argue or debate your theology with someone until they cracked into accepting Christ. But that's a greedy sales pitch. That's the way the world does things. The way the kingdom works is through blessing and love without accepting anything in return. Bless, and be blessed. God heals and loves whoever He wants -- whether or not they "buy" the salvation package at the end of the day. It's okay, He'll usually get them later! =)

The point is this: I want to be a treasure hunter. I want to find the glory that the Lord has hidden for me and I want to spend my life searching for the people who God has said "You are my Treasure." It's the "lost coin" parable in Luke -- the Treasure that God's lost is humankind and He will spend all the time and energy it takes getting His Treasure back. And you better believe He will rejoice once He's found it! Someone once told me that every person is only one encounter away from knowing God. If I could be that encounter... if everyone could just position themselves to BE an encounter -- we might find the REAL pot of gold at the end of this rainbow.

*For more info and awesome testimonies check out the book The Ultimate Treasure Hunt by Kevin Dedmon!

Identity and Trust

I know this is a long one but it's worth it.

Here's something I am pushing through right now. It it probably the greatest battle that every man will ever face. It's actually two battles. Two issues. Identity and Trust.

Let's look back at Genesis. In the Garden of Eden, Satan didn't wage war against Adam. He didn't storm into the Garden and proclaim that he was going to overthrow Adam and rule over mankind. He didn't face it head on... if he would have faced Adam head on, it is more than likely the outcome would have been drastically different. [ In fact, most people when faced head on with a problem know what to do (especially if you understand Jesus)]. However, Satan decided to use a side-door tactic. Instead of flat out commanding Adam into giving him the authority over the earth, he tricked him into it. How did he do it? He got Adam (or, more specifically, Adam's wife) to question what God had said.

The first temptation was this: "Did God REALLY say that?" It had everything to do with trust in what God had said. God said, "Eat this and you'll die." Satan asked Eve, "Did God really say that?" Eve wasn't sure. She hadn't heard it from God, she heard it from Adam. And in the end, she fell to the very thing Satan wanted -- her trust in God was broken. Here enters sin.

Flash forward to the book of Matthew. In Chapter 3, we see Jesus being baptized. As he rises from the water the heavens open up and the Spirit of God decends on Him. Then a booming voice from heaven proclaims, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased!"

Immediately afterward, Jesus, "the second Adam," goes out into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan again. Now, we assume that Satan was tempting Him with food, and authority, etc. etc. But if we leave it at that, we've missed the real temptation. What is it that Satan actually says? Let's read what it says -- Matt. 4 - "Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God...."

Stop right here. If You are the Son of God. What just happened before Jesus went into the wilderness? The heavens opened and God the Father proclaimed to Him, "This is My beloved Son."

Jesus' temptation wasn't really about food, or authority (well, to be clear, it was... but there is more to the story). Jesus wasn't even hungry until AFTER the temptation ended. He already knew He had all the authority on earth! So what was His temptation? Identity. And, if you notice, His temptation was in His ability to trust in the fact that He was who God said He was.

The two temptations: Identity and Trust. If we miss these, we've missed everything.

Here's what happens -- we come into a situation, and we don't know who we are, and so we don't know how to respond. Say we screw up, for example. Lets say we commit some sort of sin and we feel really guilty about it -- but what we don't realize is that our IDENTITY isn't in the things that we do... it's in Christ Jesus, who paid for all our sins and declared us righteous and in right relationship to God the Father. But we don't know that. I mean, we've heard it, but we don't really believe it because we continue to walk in shame and condemnation. We don't really trust that He forgave us, so we'll spend our lives looking for ways to prove ourselves to God. We think, "How could God love me like this?" and we try to make it better with our own works. And we run away from God instead of towards Him, thinking He's mad at us -- when really, we just don't realize that there's no condemnation in Jesus. He called us clean.

Or something like this will happen. The Lord will tell you something, like, "I'm going to heal you of this disease." You think, "Great! Amen! Hallelujah!" But then if time passes and nothing happens, here comes that battle inside your head... "Did I hear that right? Maybe God meant heal me partially. No, I'm pretty sure He meant heal me completely.... Did God really say that?" The seed that gets sown is stolen by the devil. We don't know that God has called us to walk in divine health, and when the word comes we don't trust Him. Therefore we throw off everything and we live under the confusion of the devil.

Or say you're around a group of friends, and the Lord tells you to go and pray for one of them... but suddenly you get scared, because what if they think you're funny for asking? So you wage that familiar war again, "Well, did God mean to pray for them now? Did He mean I should pray with them or for them? Did God really say that?" And in the end, we'll miss our chance.

Pick any situation... I can almost guarantee you that every problem or doubt you will ever face in your life has something (if not everything) to do with either who the Lord has said you are or what He's told to you, and whether or not you believed Him and did something about it. It all comes down to trust and identity.

I'm giving these examples and saying all this because these are the very things (and situations!) that I'm running into in my life. In fact, I had a breakdown today and I didn't even realize why I was so messed up until somebody helped me work it through... and what do you think I was having issues about? "Did God really tell me that this is who I am?" Bingo.

God has told me who I am, but I haven't believed Him. I'm telling you, it's a struggle. And as I'm looking back at all the situations in my life that are causing me to struggle or doubt, I'm seeing the same old temptation... It's "Who am I?" and "Did God really say that?" These are big issues!

I'm wanting to share what I've learned about it so that other people don't have to struggle in this area... because I'm finding out that these two area's of your life will affect EVERY decision you make. When the Bible talks about giving the devil a foothold, man this is it. Letting him talk you out of receiving from the Lord about what to do and who you are... that's a big foothold.

For me personally, I'm wanting to spend the time pursuing these -- because if the word of the Lord comes again, I don't want to fight it, I want to obey it! So this is where I am. I'm fighting the greatest temptation faced by both Adam, and Jesus, and all of mankind before and after: my identity, and my trust in His.

** also one last point: Remember how Eve was easily deceived because she heard the news from Adam and not from God? Make sure the words you are getting about your identity are from GOD and not from other people. One thing I've learned is that other people will always put their own spin on things. So, if the LORD has told you something, believe it! If someone else tells you something, and it's not a confirmation (i.e. already a word given to you by God), then seek God and get Him to tell you the real deal.

Let Your Fire Fall!

So I had an awesome God encounter last night!

A bunch of us from the church were gathered at a prayer meeting at the House prayer room in order to seek God for a fresh baptism of His fire. We were pressing in and Pastor Jamey had everyone come up to the front so He could impart some of the things he got while being out in Redding, California with Bill Johnson (fyi: their ministry is exploding in miracles, signs, and wonders! http://www.bjm.org/ and http://www.ibethel.org/ -- check them out!).

I was the first to rush up there, because lets face it - when you're hungry for God nothing is going to stand in your way! Jamey laid hands on me and I don't know how to describe it other than the fire of God fell on me. My hand began shaking and trembling and it felt as though they were on fire. Then it was as if my whole body was burning from the inside and there was just a heavy glory resting upon me. It was incredible!

After I "recovered" I went around praying for other people around me and they all experienced the same thing -- the burning fire of God.

The most amazing part of the evening, however, was after everyone was done and a few of us (mostly the "younger crowd" of 20-somethings) were underneath the lights and we began noticing that our hands were sparkling. So when we checked it out we noticed that we had gold flecks all over our hands! It was awesome. There are countless stories of gold dust falling from heaven during worship gatherings and prayer meetings, and I believe we encountered it! My friend Matt mentioned that he wouldn't be surprised if it kept happening at all our worship gatherings.

Anyway, the point is that God is wanting to pour out His Spirit on His people like never before! We are called to walk as Jesus walked - in signs, miracles, and wonders.

Jesus was just an ordinary man. No, truly! He couldn't do miracles or heal the sick or raise the dead. He laid down all His God-given rights and became fully a man in order to recapture what Adam lost. He lived His life as a man in right relationship with God, fully dependent on Holy Spirit. The difference between Jesus and us is that He had no sin (except through His death now we are counted as without sin, blameless in His sight! glory to God!) and that He was FULLY dependent on Holy Spirit (how fully dependent are we? maybe that's why we aren't moving in the things that Jesus moved in). Jesus said that He could do nothing, but that all He did was from the Father.

So with us, its the same. If we aren't moving in signs and wonders and if we aren't raising the dead... we are living FAR below our birthright!!

But the Lord is bringing His Spirit on His people. It's been happening all around the world and both in Lakeland, Florida (Todd Bentley) and Redding, California (Bill Johnson). Both of them prophecied recently that there would be an outpouring in Minnesota and the midwest. I believe I was evidence to the beginning of some kind of revival last night. Jesus is really on the move here!

I encourage anyone reading this to consider pressing in for more baptism of fire! The Lord is beginning to show Himself in signs and wonders and miracles all around us and if we continue to seek Him while He's near, we might just catch the wave!

Lord, I pray that Your fire would fall on Your people! That the consuming fire would come and remove all that hinders love. That You would shatter the box of our theology and pour out a new release of the baptism of Your spirit! Father, move in our midst that we may see Your glory and Your kingdom advanced on this earth! Amen.

This image is from another outpouring where gold dust came upon a Pastor.

Ours was similar but not as intense.

The Reality of Desire

Everything He does is out of desire for us. Every discipline. Every pathway He makes. Every door He opens and every door He shuts. Everything He gives and everything He takes away. Every word of life. Everything meant to bring us into the realization that He truly desires us.

He truly desires us.

If we live out of this reality, it won't matter that we've messed up a thousand times. It won't matter that we've always run away from Him when we should have run towards Him. It won't matter that we were angry when we only heard silence for all our prayers. It won't matter that we questioned whether or not He was even real, much less listening to us. It won't matter that we've stretched His hand and tested His methods when we should have been obeying Him.

It won't matter because we will realize His desire is for us and that His arms are always open wide -- there will never be a day when He says, "I told you so," and no matter what, He wants us. We will realize that we can always run to Him, and He will always lift us up -- and we will walk in the Reality of Desire: that the kingdom of darkness can never be victorious against us because His love burns for us so greatly that no enemy will stand against His consuming fire.

This is the reality needed in order to survive this life. This is the reality needed when we go to pray. This is the reality needed when we screw up. This is the reality we need if we think that He's an angry God. Because if we don't realize that no matter what He loves us and is jealous for us, and is never angry, and that He is good -- we'll end up fighting against Him instead of joining with Him. We'll end up taking up arms with the enemy, instead of riding in the victory He already won for us.

Lately I've forgotten who He is -- I've forgotten the eyes in which He sees me through -- and I've been running so hard away from His gaze because I thought it would hurt to look into it. But I forgot that there is no condemnation there. I forgot that He desires me.

He desires me.

Jesus. Where else can I go? You have the words of life. What other lovers could I pursue that would love me the way only You can? Lord, You have the only thing my heart will ever need. And only You can burn with desire for me. Oh Lord, I want to know the yearnings of Your heart. I want to feel your Jealousy over my life. I want to know the great desire you have towards me -- desire that overflowed enough to give me Immanuel. I want to see what You see when You look at me.

Because despite the chaos -- despite the confusion and the silence -- despite every notion and idea I have about my life -- it all boils down to You.

Your inheritance is that You get what You paid for -- and Your inheritance is that You get my life in the end -- and Your inheritance is that You will never relent until You get it all -- You will never stop until You get me.





He is jealous for me
Love's like a hurricane, I am a tree
Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory
And I realize just how beautiful You are and how great your affections are for me.

Oh, how He loves us so
Oh, how He loves us
How He loves us so.

He loves us
Oh, how He loves us
Oh, how He loves us
Oh, how He loves.

So we are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes
If grace is an ocean we're all sinking
So heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest
I don't have time to maintain these regrets when I think about the way...

He loves us
Oh, how He loves us
Oh, how He loves us
Oh, how He loves.

A True Revival

I've been burdened lately with my own inept ability to pray.

I see so many people who want revival, yet how many people are willing to pain through the process of prayer in order to get it? Let's face it: prayer is painful. When you come into the presence of God, the Spirit longs and groans from inside you and it hurts! We have a tendancy to run from pain -- I have a tendency to run from pain -- but the breakthrough comes from leaning into the pain in the place of prayer knowing in faith that the revival is just on the other side.

In fact, no revival has ever come without the pain, sweat, and tears in the process of prayer -- and no revival ever sustained without it. Even Pentecost was a result of a 10-day prayer meeting (Acts 2), and after Holy Spirit came they sustained by "constantly devoting themselves to prayer..." Revival takes work! So many want it, yet so few are willing to sacrifice for it.

And then here I am face to face with it in my own life -- yearning for revival in my family, in my community, even in my church -- and we are on the very brink of revival even as I write this, waiting for the greatest outpouring of the Spirit the world has ever seen! Yet it is difficult for me to make the effort.

The Lord told me once that prayer isn't about time spent praying -- it's about the burning in your heart. Praying fervently or "constantly" for something isn't about praying for six hours a day... it's about the groaning on the inside and the burden that you carry with you. Because prayer isn't meant to change God, it's meant to change you.

So, that's where I am -- face to face with the groaning I can't handle and face to face with the revival waiting to happen. But this isn't a power revival, it's a prayer revival, and I have full confidence that revival will be birthed, and it will be birthed through the place of prayer. Even in my own prayer life, I know that revival is coming.

The Great Misconception

** update 5/12/08 - I don't want this to come off as preachy or mean-spirited, but I'm pretty passionate about this. God is sovereign and we do live in a fallen world -- However, there's a midset switch that needs to take place before people can begin walking in the power of God's glory that's about to be revealed on the earth. This is the place I'm coming from when I write this.

One thing that I keep running across in my interactions is the fact that so few people really believe God is good. It doesn't seem that such an idea would be so difficult to grasp. When the Lord brought this to my attention a few weeks ago I was stunned! I didn't truly believe Him to be good? But God is good... all the time... right? I realized, however, that I had deluded myself. I had a common misconception of God that many people seem to fall under.

The epiphony came after I read an article about faith and healing -- one part struck me in particular:

"Misconceptions of who He is and what He is like restricts our faith. For example, if we believe that God allows sickness in order to build character, we won't have confidence praying in situations where healing is needed. However, if we believe that sickness is to the body what sin is to the soul, then no disease intimidates us. Faith is more free to develope when we truly see the heart of God as good."

It hit me -- I had believed the notion that God causes pain in order to bring good. That, however, is not the definition of a good father! If an earthly father acted like that, he'd be arrested for child abuse! God, on the other hand, is not like us -- He doesn't have to cause or allow pain in order to produce good... He can just produce good of His own hands. If I were to believe otherwise, it would be like saying that a child has to fall away from God in order to find Him. Couldn't it be, though, that a child can just walk with God the whole time? Does wickedness have to prevail in our lives in order for there to be righteousness? Or can there just BE righteousness? Well, if we're talking about a righteous God...

I'm now under the assumption that there is no reason to suffer hardship or put up with the devil's reign in my life in order to force God to make some good out of it (which He always will, by the way -- He takes what the devil does for harm and turns it for good).

After coming to terms with this, I've realized that there is a superior reality that God has called us to walk in -- but it takes setting aside the silly idea that God wants us to suffer in order to "build character" when He can just build character using His own works! I do not want the idea that there is "no pleasure without pain" to rule my life. When I see a work of the devil, I'm not going to think, "Oh, well, God must have a plan so I'm going to sit around and wait until He does it..." NO! I'm going to pursue the reality I know that says God is always good, and He always will do good, and the Kingdom of Heaven is coming to earth and there are no works of Satan in heaven!! Let's face this: God is always good, and the devil is always bad. I'm going to fight for the will and reign of the Kingdom and will of God in every situation, no matter what it looks like.

** update 5/12/08 - Testimony - Every so often I've struggled with bouts of "depresssion" like tendencies, and usually at the end of that period of time (about a couple days or a week or so) where I'm depressed the Lord will deliver me and I'll grow and change. It's one of those situations people will say, "I wouldn't trade it for the world!" But I always think, isn't there a better way I could have learned this? Well, one time I realized I was headed for another one of my depressive episodes again...but I realized God's "goodness" (or what I thought was His goodness) and knew that He would grow me out of the process, so I sat down in prayer and said, "Lord, if I have to go through this again, I'm okay with it... because I know at the end of this I'll be better than at the beginning." His response shocked me. He said (paraphrased), "That's true. But you know... you don't have to go through it at all. If you just turn to me now and let me work it out in you, you won't have to suffer through the sadness. You'll come out the same in the end. And it will save both you and I some pain." So, keep this in mind. We really, really don't have to go through pain and suffering in order for the Lord to produce character and life lessons in us. Does He use them if they happen? Yes! He's sovereign and we live in a crappy world... but He's also good. He's extraordinarily good.

However, with this understanding it also brings the responsibility of action. When I am confronted from here on out with negative circumstances, it is my responsibility to act out of faith knowing that God is good. I can no longer let idleness be confused for "waiting on God" because faith is an action, and faith is birthed out of an understand of who I'm having faith in -- God. And if I don't know anything, I know this: God is ALWAYS good.

*update - 6.5.08 - An interesting topic was brought up - does God allow pain in order to bring about His glory? I think sometimes He does. However, this is my problem: People assume that the Lord allows them to have cancer, for example, in order to produce a work of character in them. So their testimony becomes "I have cancer, but the Lord is doing all this good work in and through me because of it!" That is a wrong perspective. In the Bible, even the man who was sick so that Jesus could show His glory was healed by Jesus immediately afterwards. Jesus said (paraphrasing) "This man is sick so that I can show my glory" and then what did He do? He healed the man who was sick! The testimony shouldn't be "I am sick so God can have His glory." It should be, "I was sick, but then God healed me." That is what gives God the glory. God is a Healer. It's who He is, therefore, it's what He does. He heals EVERY disease. Our testimony should never be "I am sick but God is doing good things." It should be, "I was sick, and it produced a work in me, but then I was healed, and now God has the glory."

The Pursuit of Healing

Last night the Lord continued to re-enforce the fight that happens in prayer -- the pressing in to enter the reality of heaven. I was reminded of Jacob wrestling with the angel of the Lord. When the word came to Jacob that his name was to be changed, he didn't just say, "Okay then," and walk away. He grabbed that angel and held on and said, "You're not leaving until I get the blessing from this!" He understood that there was more that God wanted to say. God was not just giving him a nice word, he was giving him a doorway into a new reality.

So with me, it was an old word that I was wrestling with. Last February the Lord declared over me that I was healed from migraine headaches. At the time, I believed Him, but to me it was a simple word that I let slip. I didn't understand that He was trying to bring me into a reality of the Kingdom that I could walk in. I just thought, "Oh, well, if another headache comes He'll heal me again." I didn't understand that He was inviting me to walk in divine health.

So this morning I decided to fight for something. I woke up with a slight migraine -- not enough to cripple me, but enough to greatly annoy me -- it was really nothing some ibuprofin wouldn't have fixed... but I decided that I could either get up and go take some medicine, or I could fight to enter into the reality God told me I should walk in. Looking at the promise (the word that came) and trying to understand what it meant, I began to press in. I fought in prayer. I used the weapons that I had (which aren't a lot, but enough) and prayed and prayed. And guess what... my migraine went away completely!

Hallelujah! It's more than just a miraculous healing, however. I've now entered into a reality that I can begin to wage war from. I have, in some way (probably not fully) in the past entered into it while praying for other people. My favorite testimony is the time I went to Applebees and got a word of knowledge from the Lord about our waitress. I got a sharp pain in the left side of my head and the word came to my mind that the waitress had a headache. So I asked her, and it turns out that she did have a headache on her left side (and she thought it was weird that I knew that, so I explained that the Lord had told me). I asked if I could pray for her and she said, "yes," so I did and she was healed instantly. It was an awesome encounter, but to me it was an unusual thing.

I know that I have been called to walk in healing. It was one of the first words I ever received about callings on my life. However, I'm learning that sometimes realities are given to you, and sometimes they are fought for... and this one is something that I needed to gain the victory for.

And even though I'm probably not walking in Smith Wigglesworth healing power, I know that somehow I've gained a weapon in the war. I guess now it's just a matter of learning how to use it.

The Pursuit of Prayer

"Nothing happens in the affairs of man except in response to prayer."

This is the thing I am learning. Prayer is not just talking to God. In fact, prayer is usually the most boring when we end up praying TO God and not WITH God. It was always meant to be a partnership, never a one way conversation.

I've learned over the past year that the prayer closet changes the world. And contrary to popular belief, if you don't pray for something to be accomplished on the earth, it will not get accomplished. Yes, God is sovereign, but for some reason He has "handcuffed" himself (to quote Bill Johnson) to our prayers. He will not force His will on the earth. We must first say, "yes" to His will, and then declare it on the earth. God has given authority to mankind to do His will.

I find it interesting that the only time the disciples ask Jesus to teach them something, they ask, "Lord, teach us how to pray!" His response? "Pray like this: Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." It was declared prayer - one that would bring heaven to earth (where it rightfully belongs!)

This is prayer: The interaction with heaven in order to affect this reality with God's reality.

Prayer becomes more than just "let me sit here and talk to God." That is a part of it (a very good part of it!), but there's a fight that needs to be won when we go into the prayer closet. Prayer is about forcing your way into the reality of heaven in search of a breakthrough. Once you get to the other side, you are qualified to give the declaration. Prayer is enduring... pressing on until you get the breakthrough.

Prayer shapes history. Or, in some cases, the lack of prayer will shape history. Bill Johnson gave an example (in his sermon "Prayer Partnering with God") about James vs. Peter (Acts 12). James was killed by Herod, but Peter was saved. The difference? Peter had the church continuously praying for him!

So, I've been learning all of this over the course of the last year, but even more recently I was listening to Bill Johnson explain it. His explanation clearly laid out everything I was trying to wrap my mind around about prayer. I went to bed last night with all these thoughts running through my mind, but unfortunately I fell asleep before finishing the sermon. So I took my iPod to the gym today and finished it off. It really was amazing though, because in the middle of my workout the Presence fell on me so heavily that I started praying in tongues! I'm really glad the guy working out next to me had earphones on, otherwise I'm pretty sure he might have thought I'd lost my mind.

As for the real encounter: Today I decided to lay aside everything and pursue God in prayer for my family. It was the most intense worship and prayer I've ever been in! At one point I was praying that the reality (victory won in my life that I live and walk in now have become spiritual realities or "houses" for me) of heaven would fall on them, and a shock wave went rushing through my body in such a way that I jumped back and had to stop praying for a moment.

The Lord did an amazing work in me. I was weeping and forcing myself in prayer in a way I'd never done before -- and I believe I did somehow break through to heaven. It was incredible.

I will never again pray any differently.

But there is so much I have to learn. The one burning passion on my heart right now is "Lord! Teach me to pray!" The desire of my heart is to change the world around me. It's also a calling on my life. In order to fulfill it, I'll need to learn to pray and continue on in violent prayer, because prayer changes everything.

So for me in this next season, I'm off on this journey - the pursuit of prayer.

Matthew 11:12 - "From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it."