I was spending some time with a great friend, and God spoke to me very clearly about the future. I like to explain the context to when I have the voice of God appear in my life. I just LOVE it when He catches me off guard. The only thing I can nail down as the voice of God is..."AND SUDDENLY THERE WAS...." At first I was pretty sure it was JUST a move of the Holy Spirit that was going to come suddenly. Oh, that word JUST limits us soo much. From the moment I heard it, it was implanted into my spirit. It is part of me for this moment and can not be removed just as God can never be removed from my heart.
In the bible, this phrase appears in Acts 2:2 - And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
I know without a shadow of a doubt that there is about to me a suddenly! However, the suddenly that appeared in Acts 2 was for that time and perhaps others, but I know that we are now proclaiming what our suddenly will be. What are we as the spirit-filled church going to declare for the words after "was." And suddenly, there will be....... What do you want to see? God is wanting to know what you are yearning for. What is burning in your heart that you must see and won't loosen your persuit of it until it comes forth? For me it is for God's truth to be known, unmistakenly! I want my God's name and reputation to be replinished among the earth. I want His heart to be felt! I need to see His name resounding in all of the earth. I want God to become the clear answer and destination to all of the earth's problems! I pray that the Teen Challenges be full, the churches to be alive, and for people to be a people OF God, not just for His cause. It's time for God to bust out of this box that we all have put Him in.
This is a season that we must be our OWN prophet! Let's proclaim it as though it were and tighten our grip on what is in our spirit to see forth. We must recognize that GOD is in us, and it is about time that God in us really reflect who God is. He is not dulled down and a temporary relief. He is all powerful and has soo many names that reveal His character. If that God lives in us, we must consecrate ourselves to be of Him and not just for Him. If we do that, I believe we will see who God really is manifested and displayed in our lives. I'm tired of the God that comes out of me being smaller than I know Him to be in my heart.
"And Suddenly, my pastor will be consumed with God's prescence that every cancer cell will disappear!"
And suddenly, my loved ones will have a glimpse of the light I have been trying to display."
And suddenly, there will be a distinct shift in the finances geared towards business and into God's business.
And suddenly, the arguements between the body of Christ will become a voice of unity.
And suddenly, Harry Hines Blvd. will be empty of prostitutes.
And suddenly, my classroom silence will be filled with the move of the Holy Ghost.
And suddenly, life as we know it will NEVER be the same!
I'M SO READY!
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
"I'll Pray for You"
I was wanting to blog, but I didn't really feel like I had anything urgent to say as I usually do when I blog. When I normally blog, I feel like it is going to burst out of my physical body if I do not write it somehow. I do have a feeling of urgency on a smaller scale for today. I do want you you to realize that I'm speaking to myself as well. I hope that I never come across "preachy" as I am such a work in progress myself.
What I am feeling today is that so many times I feel the need to encourage someone in need by saying, "I will pray for you." I was struck by the importance of following up on this lest my God be shown absent in their need. I've caught myself several times saying that little phrase without understanding the weight of responsibility behind it. I have gotten to the point that it would be better to not say it than to say it and just say a get me by prayer to check them off the list. If I tell someone that I am going to petition God on their behalf, by golly, that's what I'm going to do from now on. How terrible it would be for someone's faith to be decreased by a lack of God's movement because you forgot to go to God with it. You may be the only one praying about it. Afterall, our prayers are the traintrack for God to move. Our prayers are our recognition that there is unfinished business.
Lastly, I was reading the good ole verse that says, "Trust in the Lord in all your ways and lean not on your own understanding, and He will make your paths straight." I've been thinking about all of the times that I have felt confused and doubtful. I realize that in those times, my trust in God has not been manifest in my physical body. It's one thing to say it, but it is another thing to activate your trust in order for it to manifest in your life. I claim to the promise now that my path WILL be straight as my trust is activated through faith. If my next step is not straight in front of me, let it be a reminder to me that my trust needs a tune-up. God give us all the wisdom on how to activate our trust through faith. I have so many times caught myself believing that all the promises in the bible were impossible to take hold of. I now know that I must activate my faith before I can ever look for the return on God's promise. Being saved is always first priority, but gaining God's best for you is so much more than being saved! I dare you to explore it as I dare myself to find my shortcomings instead of what Satan wants me to believe are God's.
What I am feeling today is that so many times I feel the need to encourage someone in need by saying, "I will pray for you." I was struck by the importance of following up on this lest my God be shown absent in their need. I've caught myself several times saying that little phrase without understanding the weight of responsibility behind it. I have gotten to the point that it would be better to not say it than to say it and just say a get me by prayer to check them off the list. If I tell someone that I am going to petition God on their behalf, by golly, that's what I'm going to do from now on. How terrible it would be for someone's faith to be decreased by a lack of God's movement because you forgot to go to God with it. You may be the only one praying about it. Afterall, our prayers are the traintrack for God to move. Our prayers are our recognition that there is unfinished business.
Lastly, I was reading the good ole verse that says, "Trust in the Lord in all your ways and lean not on your own understanding, and He will make your paths straight." I've been thinking about all of the times that I have felt confused and doubtful. I realize that in those times, my trust in God has not been manifest in my physical body. It's one thing to say it, but it is another thing to activate your trust in order for it to manifest in your life. I claim to the promise now that my path WILL be straight as my trust is activated through faith. If my next step is not straight in front of me, let it be a reminder to me that my trust needs a tune-up. God give us all the wisdom on how to activate our trust through faith. I have so many times caught myself believing that all the promises in the bible were impossible to take hold of. I now know that I must activate my faith before I can ever look for the return on God's promise. Being saved is always first priority, but gaining God's best for you is so much more than being saved! I dare you to explore it as I dare myself to find my shortcomings instead of what Satan wants me to believe are God's.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Ishamael or Isaac Return?
I was reading in the word about when God promised Sarah a son by Abram after Sarah had already sent Hagar to sleep with her husband to give Abram a son. Sarah was past the child bearing years, so she wanted to give Abram a son. After Hagar conceived, Sarah began to despise her. Isn't it funny how you want something that you know isn't God's perfect will and when it happens you despise it? It's like telling my husband that I don't need anything for Valentine's Day. I mean it at the time, but if he doesn't show up with something, I am terribly hurt!
I learned something very valuable through this. Do you want an Ishmael blessing or an Isaac covenant? Isaac was born of Sarah after she had made the mistake of not checking with God on her decision to send Abram with Hagar. Because of her lack of pursuit for the will of God, she had to deal with the consequences. I find it interesting, that God no where in this story takes offense. Instead, she is shown grace. Perhaps, He knew the intentions of her heart....who knows. I've come to find that God isn't so concerned with cause and effect as much as He is about making sure that the ones that love him find the purpose behind the pain and barrenness.
Anyhow, Hagar retreated into the wilderness because of the mistreatment she experienced from Sarah. It seems she had every right to! However, an angel appeared to her and said she must go back in order to receive blessings. She could NOT retreat into wilderness (pitty) and experience blessing. Although she was the victim, she must come back and live harmoniously! Therefore, Ishmael experienced blessing from God. I've found myself knowing that although there have been people that I could consider myself the victim with, God is saying DO NOT RETREAT, stay and live harmoniously! That is where the blessing is!
Lastly, I learned that anyone can do a good deed and experience the fruit of it. However, I want to consult God as to what I should do so that I can experience the covenant with God. You can consult yourself about what is comfortable to do to make sure you are in good standing with works, or you can do what He says when you consult Him and experience covenant. I would much rather have His covenant in my life than His blessing on my deeds. Isaac represents the covenant because it was His master plan. Ishmael represents blessing because it was done out of Sarah's will, not Gods. Anyone can produce fruit, but I want my fruit to not be just a cause and effect, but relational with my Father.
Therefore, I will not run away and be timid. I will show up and live harmoniously! I will seek out His will so that my fruit will be eternal and relational! Perhaps, James meant something like this when he said "it is by faith and not works." It is by our faith that we receive the beginnings of the fruit we must produce. Also, that "you will know them by their fruit" has a new meaning to me. Does a person have blessed fruit or covenential fruit?
James 2:22 - Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? (This is when Abraham sacrificed Isaac on the alter)
James 2:26 - For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
I learned something very valuable through this. Do you want an Ishmael blessing or an Isaac covenant? Isaac was born of Sarah after she had made the mistake of not checking with God on her decision to send Abram with Hagar. Because of her lack of pursuit for the will of God, she had to deal with the consequences. I find it interesting, that God no where in this story takes offense. Instead, she is shown grace. Perhaps, He knew the intentions of her heart....who knows. I've come to find that God isn't so concerned with cause and effect as much as He is about making sure that the ones that love him find the purpose behind the pain and barrenness.
Anyhow, Hagar retreated into the wilderness because of the mistreatment she experienced from Sarah. It seems she had every right to! However, an angel appeared to her and said she must go back in order to receive blessings. She could NOT retreat into wilderness (pitty) and experience blessing. Although she was the victim, she must come back and live harmoniously! Therefore, Ishmael experienced blessing from God. I've found myself knowing that although there have been people that I could consider myself the victim with, God is saying DO NOT RETREAT, stay and live harmoniously! That is where the blessing is!
Lastly, I learned that anyone can do a good deed and experience the fruit of it. However, I want to consult God as to what I should do so that I can experience the covenant with God. You can consult yourself about what is comfortable to do to make sure you are in good standing with works, or you can do what He says when you consult Him and experience covenant. I would much rather have His covenant in my life than His blessing on my deeds. Isaac represents the covenant because it was His master plan. Ishmael represents blessing because it was done out of Sarah's will, not Gods. Anyone can produce fruit, but I want my fruit to not be just a cause and effect, but relational with my Father.
Therefore, I will not run away and be timid. I will show up and live harmoniously! I will seek out His will so that my fruit will be eternal and relational! Perhaps, James meant something like this when he said "it is by faith and not works." It is by our faith that we receive the beginnings of the fruit we must produce. Also, that "you will know them by their fruit" has a new meaning to me. Does a person have blessed fruit or covenential fruit?
James 2:22 - Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? (This is when Abraham sacrificed Isaac on the alter)
James 2:26 - For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
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