Fighting Smart
2-23-09
Last night I was praying for a brother in Christ when the Lord brought this word and vision. The Lord began with saying, "I am looking at the next battlefield." I saw an empty field and realized He was talking about a battle that has not yet taken place.
"I want men to look beyond . . . to fight smart, to pursue their enemy to its end. I do not want a man to see only the battle he is in, but to think ahead. His enemy will not stop after just one defeat. A man must realize that to win, he needs greater authority."
Then I remembered David's army and how they defeated all their enemies. I understood that the next battlefield might be empty if the current battle was fought successfully.
"He had might men: David had giant-slayers," said the Lord, "men like himself. When a man faces great battles he needs men of great faith beside him. It is not a time of standing on one's own faith, but a time for agreement amongst giant-slayers. Saul did not have giant-slayers. I sent mighty men to David who were like-minded and dedicated to victory because David had a heart to do all My will. It is not My will to have a weak army, one that cowers at satan's threats."
There is a book of war, a mighty chapter about the works of men and women of faith. These saints were wholeheartedly devoted to doing God’s will. Therefore God came alongside of them, working in great power to defeat their enemies and establish His kingdom.
When a man gets to the point where he won’t turn back God will send him mighty men who are like-minded. God will surround him with warrior angels who will serve His purposes, for God can trust this man. But a man who is straddling the fence will find the way is hard and lonely.
“I bring circumstances into a man’s life to build faith in his heart. I allow adversity to build courage. If a man will cry, like David, “Unite my heart to fear your name,” then I can teach this man how to obtain victories. Life itself will become a reward for him, meaningful, stimulating, and full of growth.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
the Song of the Heart
The Song of the Heart
“I’m in love with My people. I will never stray from My appreciation and deep admiration for them. They are beautiful to Me, not because they are perfect, but because of their song. It is a song of yearning to be clothed by Me (2 Cor 5:4). I hear the groaning of deep desire to be acceptable, coupled with the grace to live on this present earth as it is: imperfect.
I listen to the song of every man’s heart. Nothing pleases Me more than the deep longing to freely express the gift of life to the One who gave it.
Chains and fetters are falling away from the spirit of My Bride as she allows herself to be allowable to Me. What will she see when she beholds My face? Too much for mere words. Yet My bride will know in her heart that she has been accepted as one prepared to stand alongside the One she loves, in dignity and honor. It is not a process I despise, but a drawing of her heart, and an admiration by the One who watches over her preparation.”
“I’m in love with My people. I will never stray from My appreciation and deep admiration for them. They are beautiful to Me, not because they are perfect, but because of their song. It is a song of yearning to be clothed by Me (2 Cor 5:4). I hear the groaning of deep desire to be acceptable, coupled with the grace to live on this present earth as it is: imperfect.
I listen to the song of every man’s heart. Nothing pleases Me more than the deep longing to freely express the gift of life to the One who gave it.
Chains and fetters are falling away from the spirit of My Bride as she allows herself to be allowable to Me. What will she see when she beholds My face? Too much for mere words. Yet My bride will know in her heart that she has been accepted as one prepared to stand alongside the One she loves, in dignity and honor. It is not a process I despise, but a drawing of her heart, and an admiration by the One who watches over her preparation.”
Friday, February 20, 2009
our lives are a stage for God
God has set our lives like a stage that is waiting for His great works. All the apostles did those works, and so will we who believe. Greater works will we do, if we do not become offended at His plans for our lives.
The greatest weapon against offense is to see one’s life as a plan in the hand of the Holy One, and to know His character as good. The simple life of the believer then becomes charged with electricity as the lights come on the stage. He recognizes the players on the stage as foes or friends of Jesus, for discernment is the friend of those whose lives are a stage for God.
We are to present our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God (Rom 12:1). This sets our stage with a willingness to do the will of God instead of our own will. We then become privy to the plan of the One whom we believe is good, who has determined His plan for our lives from long ago. As we break away from following the worldly patterns of our former actions we find that His plans for us come near. The more we agree with His plans, the more lights come on the stage, and we know the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God (Rom 12:2).
When we are a sacrifice, we not only know who plays on the stage, but can test the purposes for which they have entered our lives. It is then we become aware that our lives, indeed, have a plan and are not just happenstance. The foes of Jesus are on our stage so that the glory of the Lord can shine brighter. Just as the prophets of Baal came into the lives of Elijah, so the enemies of the Lord set the stage for His glory alone. We need not fear, but only believe in the One who waits to enter our stage to do His great works. Amen
The greatest weapon against offense is to see one’s life as a plan in the hand of the Holy One, and to know His character as good. The simple life of the believer then becomes charged with electricity as the lights come on the stage. He recognizes the players on the stage as foes or friends of Jesus, for discernment is the friend of those whose lives are a stage for God.
We are to present our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God (Rom 12:1). This sets our stage with a willingness to do the will of God instead of our own will. We then become privy to the plan of the One whom we believe is good, who has determined His plan for our lives from long ago. As we break away from following the worldly patterns of our former actions we find that His plans for us come near. The more we agree with His plans, the more lights come on the stage, and we know the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God (Rom 12:2).
When we are a sacrifice, we not only know who plays on the stage, but can test the purposes for which they have entered our lives. It is then we become aware that our lives, indeed, have a plan and are not just happenstance. The foes of Jesus are on our stage so that the glory of the Lord can shine brighter. Just as the prophets of Baal came into the lives of Elijah, so the enemies of the Lord set the stage for His glory alone. We need not fear, but only believe in the One who waits to enter our stage to do His great works. Amen
Friday, February 13, 2009
the word is the seed
This morning the Lord was talking to me about His word being like a seed, planted in our hearts. He reminded me of a dream I had in 2003 where I saw myself wrapped in a newspaper, and (wrongfully) buried in the ground. The newspaper represented the word of God spoke over my life. God was letting me know that He was going to resurrect the buried part of my life so that His promises could live. Here is the lesson God brought to me today on the importance of His word in our lives;
“I watch over My word to perform it (see Is 55:11). My words are important to Me and My purposes. Some men think that My word is only for salvation and they do not listen for My voice throughout the days of their lives. I am planting my seed, My word, in Man (Lk 8:11) for a harvest of righteousness. Man needs to be fertile and usable soil, good for My planting.
My Son told of the parable of the Sower and the Seed. He spoke of those hearts in which the seed was unable to grow, being along the path, amongst the rocks, and amongst the thorns. These three areas are describing the conditions of men’s hearts. The meaning of this parable is clear also in the Old Testament where I told My people not to sow amongst thorns, but to break up the fallow, hard ground of their hearts (Jer 4;3). My word will work righteousness in the heart that has good soil (see Hos 10:12 also).
Now there is a difference between having faith, hope, and belief. For a man has to receive the word with faith in his heart for it to bear fruit (Heb 4:2). A man can have hope for something to happen, and he can believe that I surely can make that thing happen, but until that man has My word on the thing happening, he has not faith; he has hope and belief. When I bring My word to a situation, then the man can have faith for it to happen. That is how important the words from My mouth are.
According to the parable, satan can steal My words from a man’s heart. He is trying to prevent men and women from having faith grow and thereby yielding a harvest of righteousness. If satan can defeat the word of God in a man’s heart, he has won a victory, for a man with faith is the greatest threat to the kingdom of darkness. When satan came to steal the word from My Son, He answered the devil with the word itself, saying that He lived by ‘every word that proceeds from the mouth of God,” (Mt 13:19). Now you see that it is not just the written word that has power for righteousness, but the spoken word as well. Man must defend his faith with the very word of God that satan is trying to steal from his heart.
My Son drew a vivid portrait of the war against the saints of God in the book of Revelation so that none would be witless against the wiles of the devil. He so hates the word of God living in the sons of Man that satan is portrayed as pursuing those with the spirit of prophecy (Rev 12:17). He is still opposing the word of God in men’s hearts. And yet it is with the very word he opposes that men shall defeat him (vs 11). The word is spirit and life and a two-edged sword, able to bring men into the image of their Savior. What a threat to the kingdom of darkness is God’s word, and what a glory to have His word invested in the hearts of Man! So now you see that the word sown in the hearts of men and women is not only to form them into righteousness but to defeat the enemy of their souls. That is how important My word is.”
“I watch over My word to perform it (see Is 55:11). My words are important to Me and My purposes. Some men think that My word is only for salvation and they do not listen for My voice throughout the days of their lives. I am planting my seed, My word, in Man (Lk 8:11) for a harvest of righteousness. Man needs to be fertile and usable soil, good for My planting.
My Son told of the parable of the Sower and the Seed. He spoke of those hearts in which the seed was unable to grow, being along the path, amongst the rocks, and amongst the thorns. These three areas are describing the conditions of men’s hearts. The meaning of this parable is clear also in the Old Testament where I told My people not to sow amongst thorns, but to break up the fallow, hard ground of their hearts (Jer 4;3). My word will work righteousness in the heart that has good soil (see Hos 10:12 also).
Now there is a difference between having faith, hope, and belief. For a man has to receive the word with faith in his heart for it to bear fruit (Heb 4:2). A man can have hope for something to happen, and he can believe that I surely can make that thing happen, but until that man has My word on the thing happening, he has not faith; he has hope and belief. When I bring My word to a situation, then the man can have faith for it to happen. That is how important the words from My mouth are.
According to the parable, satan can steal My words from a man’s heart. He is trying to prevent men and women from having faith grow and thereby yielding a harvest of righteousness. If satan can defeat the word of God in a man’s heart, he has won a victory, for a man with faith is the greatest threat to the kingdom of darkness. When satan came to steal the word from My Son, He answered the devil with the word itself, saying that He lived by ‘every word that proceeds from the mouth of God,” (Mt 13:19). Now you see that it is not just the written word that has power for righteousness, but the spoken word as well. Man must defend his faith with the very word of God that satan is trying to steal from his heart.
My Son drew a vivid portrait of the war against the saints of God in the book of Revelation so that none would be witless against the wiles of the devil. He so hates the word of God living in the sons of Man that satan is portrayed as pursuing those with the spirit of prophecy (Rev 12:17). He is still opposing the word of God in men’s hearts. And yet it is with the very word he opposes that men shall defeat him (vs 11). The word is spirit and life and a two-edged sword, able to bring men into the image of their Savior. What a threat to the kingdom of darkness is God’s word, and what a glory to have His word invested in the hearts of Man! So now you see that the word sown in the hearts of men and women is not only to form them into righteousness but to defeat the enemy of their souls. That is how important My word is.”
Thursday, February 12, 2009
evidence
In my prayers this morning I asked the Lord to show evidence that He was working in the area of a long-awaited promise. The Lord was very kind, and gave me a prophetic lesson I’d like to share with you.
“Sarah, Abraham’s wife, was not pregnant for years, then having a baby. She did not have the evidence of My word, a baby, living inside of her. Though it is hard to see no evidence of My word in your life, the word is not less valid.
Consider Ezekiel’s vision of dry bones. I did not show him a victorious army, but a people long defeated. From this defeated people, a people without hope, I brought the victorious army (Ez 37:10). It is My word of Life, breathed on human flesh, that brings My intentions to pass. No human can muster up enough faith for the impossible to bring it into being. But he can have faith in Me and in My faithfulness. I will perform all My word to you. Let the church say ‘May it be to me, according to Your word’ (Lk 1:38).”
“Sarah, Abraham’s wife, was not pregnant for years, then having a baby. She did not have the evidence of My word, a baby, living inside of her. Though it is hard to see no evidence of My word in your life, the word is not less valid.
Consider Ezekiel’s vision of dry bones. I did not show him a victorious army, but a people long defeated. From this defeated people, a people without hope, I brought the victorious army (Ez 37:10). It is My word of Life, breathed on human flesh, that brings My intentions to pass. No human can muster up enough faith for the impossible to bring it into being. But he can have faith in Me and in My faithfulness. I will perform all My word to you. Let the church say ‘May it be to me, according to Your word’ (Lk 1:38).”
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
the victory of Love
Yesterday the Lord had me read Psalm 76 and told me that He is famous for getting victories. This morning I expected that the Lord would talk more on this subject, and was surprised when He said “I want to be famous in you for your love.” Is love a part of warfare? Hmmmm. I didn’t see the connection, until He led me through scriptures. The first scripture was 1 Cor 13, especially verse 13. The following is His lesson about the victory of love.
“Faith must abide alongside hope and love. If you have love, you will intercede for those things you have faith for. If you do not have love, you will become disheartened and eventually lose the vision for what you now have faith for because of discouragement. You may have faith for what I want to accomplish, but no faith for the accomplishers, your brethren. You must let mercy be more important than Me reckoning with men over their lack of faith (see Jms 2:13).
The Christian brethren err in praying for Me alone to move. I asked My disciples to pray for the brethren to do the work they saw needed to be done. I said to pray for the laborers (Lk 10:2). I am ready; it’s the laborers who aren’t ready. First I need those with faith and vision to accept the imperfections of their brethren, and minister to them in love and mercy. I spoke in another place of those brethren laboring for me, who did not hire other brethren who were waiting, willing to enter in (Mt 20:6-7). Love does not exclude the weak from serving God; it prepares them to be strong.
Love washes the brethren’s feet, getting them ready to serve Me. Love protects them from the accusations of the enemy and encourages them towards faith. There is a day of reckoning for all saints. Love desires that one’s brother will get his full reward and intercedes with tears for those who are unfaithful.
Yes, I can come set things in order and establish righteousness through My wrath. Indeed, I have no pleasure in the injustices I see. But there is another way; a higher way. I envision brethren standing in the gap for one another, interceding from a heart of compassion (Is 63:1-6). This is the coupling of faith, hope, and love that I wrote about. Let faith keep the vision alive for My work, and let hope be your weapon against discouragement. But above all let love cause you to bring your brethren before the throne for their good, and sincerely desire that they all excel, in all things. These are the prayers that I am waiting for. After these things take place there will be a great and powerful move of My Spirit on the earth, and a great victory.” Amen
“Faith must abide alongside hope and love. If you have love, you will intercede for those things you have faith for. If you do not have love, you will become disheartened and eventually lose the vision for what you now have faith for because of discouragement. You may have faith for what I want to accomplish, but no faith for the accomplishers, your brethren. You must let mercy be more important than Me reckoning with men over their lack of faith (see Jms 2:13).
The Christian brethren err in praying for Me alone to move. I asked My disciples to pray for the brethren to do the work they saw needed to be done. I said to pray for the laborers (Lk 10:2). I am ready; it’s the laborers who aren’t ready. First I need those with faith and vision to accept the imperfections of their brethren, and minister to them in love and mercy. I spoke in another place of those brethren laboring for me, who did not hire other brethren who were waiting, willing to enter in (Mt 20:6-7). Love does not exclude the weak from serving God; it prepares them to be strong.
Love washes the brethren’s feet, getting them ready to serve Me. Love protects them from the accusations of the enemy and encourages them towards faith. There is a day of reckoning for all saints. Love desires that one’s brother will get his full reward and intercedes with tears for those who are unfaithful.
Yes, I can come set things in order and establish righteousness through My wrath. Indeed, I have no pleasure in the injustices I see. But there is another way; a higher way. I envision brethren standing in the gap for one another, interceding from a heart of compassion (Is 63:1-6). This is the coupling of faith, hope, and love that I wrote about. Let faith keep the vision alive for My work, and let hope be your weapon against discouragement. But above all let love cause you to bring your brethren before the throne for their good, and sincerely desire that they all excel, in all things. These are the prayers that I am waiting for. After these things take place there will be a great and powerful move of My Spirit on the earth, and a great victory.” Amen
Thursday, February 5, 2009
The Bride vs child-like Christians
The Bride vs child-like Christians
2/5/09
This morning I awoke with a dream, and the Lord began sharing about its meaning. In the dream I was at a conference where the first session was about the attitudes of our hearts. There were scriptures in the schedule, and sitting there was like hearing a wonderful sermon. In my quiet time this is what the Lord shared with me;
The Holy Spirit is working on the Bride to prepare her. I will come in mighty power, but want to make sure that the attitude of your hearts is right. I am coming to a Bride, not a child. A bride seeks her husband’s favor, learning how to please him. A child demands, seeking to please himself. A wife, in becoming one with her husband, will come to a unity of purposes and complimentary thinking. A child seeks his own way and doesn’t understand the thoughts of others. A wife loves what belongs to her husband and honors his works amongst others. A child wants all things for himself, holding the right to pick and choose what he will like, and what he will discard. A wife will eventually reflect her husband’s heart coupled with her own, loving people and serving them as he does. A child will grow in offenses as he meets those who don’t serve him, but ask of him service due to others instead. The boundaries of a child’s heart are small, whereas the wife’s boundaries enlarge as her love deepens.
Now, you see that I am talking about My Bride, made up of Christians who prefer my ways over their own. And I am referring to child-like Christians, who prefer that I accept their ways and not require that they grow up into the full stature of Jesus, their head. My Bride will find her identity in Me, and will not bring from her past a worldly identity into the marriage which she must nurture and maintain. A Christian that spends time tending to his worldly image is trying to save his life, and will lose it. But a Christian that will find their identity in Me will lose their worldly image, and gain one of glory.
I am coming in mighty power to this country. Keep the attitudes of your hearts, for this is how you will trim your lamps. Behold, the Bridegroom cometh.
2/5/09
This morning I awoke with a dream, and the Lord began sharing about its meaning. In the dream I was at a conference where the first session was about the attitudes of our hearts. There were scriptures in the schedule, and sitting there was like hearing a wonderful sermon. In my quiet time this is what the Lord shared with me;
The Holy Spirit is working on the Bride to prepare her. I will come in mighty power, but want to make sure that the attitude of your hearts is right. I am coming to a Bride, not a child. A bride seeks her husband’s favor, learning how to please him. A child demands, seeking to please himself. A wife, in becoming one with her husband, will come to a unity of purposes and complimentary thinking. A child seeks his own way and doesn’t understand the thoughts of others. A wife loves what belongs to her husband and honors his works amongst others. A child wants all things for himself, holding the right to pick and choose what he will like, and what he will discard. A wife will eventually reflect her husband’s heart coupled with her own, loving people and serving them as he does. A child will grow in offenses as he meets those who don’t serve him, but ask of him service due to others instead. The boundaries of a child’s heart are small, whereas the wife’s boundaries enlarge as her love deepens.
Now, you see that I am talking about My Bride, made up of Christians who prefer my ways over their own. And I am referring to child-like Christians, who prefer that I accept their ways and not require that they grow up into the full stature of Jesus, their head. My Bride will find her identity in Me, and will not bring from her past a worldly identity into the marriage which she must nurture and maintain. A Christian that spends time tending to his worldly image is trying to save his life, and will lose it. But a Christian that will find their identity in Me will lose their worldly image, and gain one of glory.
I am coming in mighty power to this country. Keep the attitudes of your hearts, for this is how you will trim your lamps. Behold, the Bridegroom cometh.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
The Pilot Light
The Pilot Light
2/1/09
A few nights ago I was at a women’s meeting, and we worshipped the Lord. As I closed my eyes I could see a small flame: a pilot light. I wondered why I was seeing this, and the Lord interrupted my thoughts. “I’m always on,” He said. I remembered the lyrics of the song about the Lord sending His presence. I watched in my vision the motions of putting a pot on the stove and then turning the knob for the gas to come on. “Purpose,” was spoken, . . . and I understood that a person puts a pot of food on the stove . . . that’s the purpose for turning the knob. “A person’s destiny is the purpose. This is the food in the pot. A person is a vessel, or a pot, and faith causes you to turn the knob, which brings the Holy Spirit to his or her life. But I’m always on.” Then I saw an oven burner, rounded at the ends and long, all ablaze. The oven has the capacity to cook a greater amount of food, for a longer time. “Group,” came to mind . . . we were at a gathering and there is a destiny for us as a group.
Since this vision the Lord has been speaking to me about the importance of each one of us knowing our destiny, and having faith for God to work His work in us. He is not holding back from giving His presence to His people, but He brings His presence for a purpose. He could be verifying a work we do on His behalf, confirming our words with signs and wonders. Or He could be validating that we are His, causing our enemies to know He has loved us. We seldom see God’s heart displayed in ways that allow us to know His purposes in our lives, for our lives are hidden in Christ in God. That is where faith comes in.
Faith, coupled with a sense of our personal destiny, brings the power of God into our lives. To the world, these invisible attributes seem foolish, as if we were fabricating a lie. And to ourselves, we often wonder if that might be true. It takes strong faith to believe that God has a definite, fore ordained work for us to do. We don’t see the hand of God weaving the circumstances of our lives together to form the fabric of our works. But if we believe in His Holy Spirit’s leading, we will one day walk in white with Him.
Believing, and faith: two of the most important attributes of a saint, yet two of the most difficult to maintain when it comes to knowing our identity in Christ and God’s destiny for our lives. But let us look at Jesus’ life for a moment to see how faith changed the destiny for many. I have often wondered at how Jesus could go down to hell and not continue to believe that God had forsaken Him. Then the Lord said, “I knew who I am.” Believing He was the Son of God, and having faith to fulfill His destiny, Jesus preached to those bound in hell and led them to freedom. He knew that God wasn’t sending Him to hell in condemnation, but in victory.
Though our circumstances may seem to indicate that God is not with us, His pilot light is always on. There are other men of faith spoken of in the Bible whose lives seemed to be going contrary to their perception of destiny also. But God was faithful, always, and brought them to the victory of their faith. We also have God’s plan for our lives, written in invisible lines somewhere in heaven from where the hosts watch over us and minister to our souls. When we believe, His power will consecrate the sacrifice of our lives with His holy fire, and we will serve others, as is our destiny.
2/1/09
A few nights ago I was at a women’s meeting, and we worshipped the Lord. As I closed my eyes I could see a small flame: a pilot light. I wondered why I was seeing this, and the Lord interrupted my thoughts. “I’m always on,” He said. I remembered the lyrics of the song about the Lord sending His presence. I watched in my vision the motions of putting a pot on the stove and then turning the knob for the gas to come on. “Purpose,” was spoken, . . . and I understood that a person puts a pot of food on the stove . . . that’s the purpose for turning the knob. “A person’s destiny is the purpose. This is the food in the pot. A person is a vessel, or a pot, and faith causes you to turn the knob, which brings the Holy Spirit to his or her life. But I’m always on.” Then I saw an oven burner, rounded at the ends and long, all ablaze. The oven has the capacity to cook a greater amount of food, for a longer time. “Group,” came to mind . . . we were at a gathering and there is a destiny for us as a group.
Since this vision the Lord has been speaking to me about the importance of each one of us knowing our destiny, and having faith for God to work His work in us. He is not holding back from giving His presence to His people, but He brings His presence for a purpose. He could be verifying a work we do on His behalf, confirming our words with signs and wonders. Or He could be validating that we are His, causing our enemies to know He has loved us. We seldom see God’s heart displayed in ways that allow us to know His purposes in our lives, for our lives are hidden in Christ in God. That is where faith comes in.
Faith, coupled with a sense of our personal destiny, brings the power of God into our lives. To the world, these invisible attributes seem foolish, as if we were fabricating a lie. And to ourselves, we often wonder if that might be true. It takes strong faith to believe that God has a definite, fore ordained work for us to do. We don’t see the hand of God weaving the circumstances of our lives together to form the fabric of our works. But if we believe in His Holy Spirit’s leading, we will one day walk in white with Him.
Believing, and faith: two of the most important attributes of a saint, yet two of the most difficult to maintain when it comes to knowing our identity in Christ and God’s destiny for our lives. But let us look at Jesus’ life for a moment to see how faith changed the destiny for many. I have often wondered at how Jesus could go down to hell and not continue to believe that God had forsaken Him. Then the Lord said, “I knew who I am.” Believing He was the Son of God, and having faith to fulfill His destiny, Jesus preached to those bound in hell and led them to freedom. He knew that God wasn’t sending Him to hell in condemnation, but in victory.
Though our circumstances may seem to indicate that God is not with us, His pilot light is always on. There are other men of faith spoken of in the Bible whose lives seemed to be going contrary to their perception of destiny also. But God was faithful, always, and brought them to the victory of their faith. We also have God’s plan for our lives, written in invisible lines somewhere in heaven from where the hosts watch over us and minister to our souls. When we believe, His power will consecrate the sacrifice of our lives with His holy fire, and we will serve others, as is our destiny.
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