I am doing a new thing, which is from of old. I am once again establishing wisdom on the earth that the sons of Man should walk in My ways. The Church is to be glorified through wisdom, yet she lags behind. The spirit of the world, information technology, has infiltrated the minds of men, causing them to seek information from their God. Seeking information by itself is witchcraft. Seeking to know Me, know about Me, and to serve Me by speaking about Me and about what I say is not witchcraft. Yet there are some who call themselves prophets who counsel men according to seasons and weeks. This is a spiritual horoscope. I am not tied to weeks and months of a calendar.

I am putting men in decision-making situations that call for more than knowledge. Information alone will not serve them well. If I had wanted a world full of robotic people who would hear and obey Me, I could have had that long ago. Fear of Me would have hewn out a people to serve Me lest I slay them. But I want a relationship with My people; one in which they grow in the knowledge of My glory and become like Me. What father does not yearn for his children to know how to navigate through this life? And so, it is the same with Me. Father’s get their father-heart from Me.

Prophecy of scripture conveys knowledge of the Ways of God. My ways with Man are written so that those who followed would know Me. What legacy will be left to the next generation if men only seek and speak information? The prophecies that convey information are empty of the knowledge of why I speak, what purposes I have, and Who I am. They are soulish prophecies.

And so I am doing a new thing. I am raising up those who use what little they know about Me in life’s circumstances and who grow in wisdom and knowledge of the ways of their God. I am setting them in the forefront. They will speak words worth recording for the future generation. They will give wise counsel and establish security in My Body. They can be trusted with My Kingdom for they did not seek information in order to know something and be known for knowing’s sake, but they sought Someone for the sake of knowing Him, and in knowing Him are able to convey His Words, Wisdom and Knowledge to men. Let every man who boasts boast in this; that he knows the Lord. Amen.

standing against the enemy

I have noticed that over the past 3 years both Dave and I have not been having very many prophetic dreams. It began, really, since we moved back to my home town. This has greatly bothered me and I sought the Lord many times about this. What could have caused the well of revelation and prophecy that came to us at night run dry?

Today was a day of break through. Instead of chastising me over sin, or great pride, the Lord reminded me that Dave and I have been sorely oppressed by people here, and even suffered a mild form of persecution, along with being slandered. On the heels of this reminder, the Lord brought a word I’d like to share with you. Why? Because like us, you might be going through similar things. Here is the word;

“Satan has been undermining and taking away your authority so that you would lose faith to use it. When you see oppression come at you, you begin to believe it is from Me, and that I am coming against hidden pride or sin. You did not realize that satan wants to make you ineffective . . . against him. It is he that opposes you physically through people in your lives, and spiritually, during the night. He is the one who battles against My angels, My ministers of fire, preventing the revelations that come by dream. But you have authority over him.

There is a great battle looming on the horizon and the victory is appointed to you. The intimidations are the weapons of his warfare. If successful, they will turn you away from using your authority in Me against satan. You have lost sight of the fact that you have an enemy, and that the enemy is not Me.

The Israelites did not lose sight of their enemies. When David was king he fought each remaining enemy of Israel. Even when wives, children and possessions were taken away, and his own men wanted to kill him, Dave sought Me. He knew that only victory brought Me glory.

David did not shrink back from reliance on Me for victory. My people should be as he was. This is why I divide the spoils with the strong (Is 53:12), for they have faith in their hearts like David.”

God has used His word to rightfully restore us to our place in Him. Let us stand firm, and having done all, stand against our enemy. Amen

The Kingdom within

Parables. Have you ever wondered why God would send His Son to speak in parables to a people who did not understand them? Some would say that was counterproductive, and that the Father should have given understanding so that the people could enter the kingdom of God.

After Jesus told a large crowd the parable of the Sewer and the Seed, His disciples asked Him to explain it to them. Jesus said “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables . . .” (Lk 8:10). There weren’t many who understood what Jesus was telling them.

Jesus didn’t just speak in parables to the people. He also preached, such as in the Sermon on the Mount. And what He became most famous for was doing miracles. If we take a close look at those 12 disciples of Jesus we see that Jesus not only gave them understanding of the “secrets of the kingdom” contained in the parables, but He gave them authority to preach, heal and cast out demons (Lk 9:1-2). The parables contained the keys to understanding the kingdom of God. The gifts were the works done in the kingdom.

Jesus told the religious leaders of His time that they would not be able see the kingdom of God “with careful observation”, but that it was “within you.” Before we can work in the kingdom, we have to establish it within.

Some of our current religious leaders say that signs and wonders, healing and prophecy are evidence that the kingdom of God is here. However, God does not want miracle-workers who do not have the understanding of the kingdom of God, and its Life working within them. In explaining the parable of the Sewer and the Seed, Jesus told His disciples that the man with good soil was one who “hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Mt 13:23). The fruit born from the understanding of God’s ways comes from the Life of the Word.

God wants us to bear fruit, as well as walk in the power of the Spirit. He does not want the power to precede the establishment of the Kingdom within us. There was a man named Simon, a sorcerer who became a Christian. Simon so admired the real display of God’s power through the Christians that he offered the apostles money to purchase the ability to lay hands on people so that they would receive the Holy Spirit through him. (Acts 8:9-24). Peter rebuked Simon, telling him that his heart was not right.

Simon had not yet established the Kingdom of God within his heart. It takes time and mentoring to hear the word of God, understand the principles of the kingdom of God, and through obedience to bear fruit. Yet many religious giants now days are encouraging young Christians to believe for works of great power. Shall they believe for the works of the Kingdom who do not have the Kingdom established within themselves?

I believe that Jesus spoke in parables so that only those who sincerely wanted to have His Kingdom within them would be mentored, and then given authority and power to lead others. The Holy Spirit had not been released yet. After the release of the Holy Spirit, men were taught by Him (Jn 14:26) and with the Spirit and the Word together, understanding grew in their hearts about the Kingdom of God.

John warns us that “anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God: whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. (2 Jn 1:9). Perhaps we need to mature in our knowledge of Him Whom we serve, and grow in His ways, having His Kingdom grow in us, before we run to do mighty works. It is a sobering thought that, even though we cast out demons, perform miracles, and prophesy in His name, we may not have spent enough time with Jesus to have a personal relationship with Him (Mt. 7:21-23). He is looking for a relationship with us . . . one that bears fruit over time. The relationship establishes the kingdom inside of us, and the fruit we bear establishes our heart in the out-working of that kingdom through love, honoring the Father and the Son, giving to others by the strength, power, gifts and calling that is upon each and every one of our lives. Today, let us build up His kingdom within us first, bearing the fruit of obedience to His Word. From that inner relationship with Christ, an out-working of His kingdom and power will come. Amen.

faith during our trial of waiting

One of the scriptures that first impressed me as a new Christian was where Jude urges us to “contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.” (Jude :3). For nearly 40 years I have done that, seeking out scriptures and listening to the Lord so that I might be found to have faith. But I realize that many things come against our faith; trials, persecutions, hardship (such as poverty), and living our lives carelessly. Though trials, persecutions and hardships can sharpen our faith, carelessness will dull it.

Carelessness is a fruit of doubt and stems from not taking God, or His Word, seriously. It attaches itself to us most often during times of waiting. The longer the wait, the more the tendency to be careless about listening to the Lord. Our disappointment seems to wound us all the deeper if God doesn’t have a ready answer for our impatience, and the “I don’t care” attitude rises up as a ready defense for this hurt.

God has many reasons for doing things in His time, and not ours. We do not see instructions in the Bible for how God should behave. We do, however, see great counsel for us in our trials, and especially in our trial of waiting. We can consider God’s nature, as Abraham did, and that God is able to do the impossible, causing the aged to bear children. He also is able to raise the dead to life to fulfill His promises. This is good counsel when waiting on the Lord to bring His good promises to pass.

But how should we practice our faith when it is not necessarily a good thing that is to come to pass. We have heard prophecies about earthquakes, and a flood of which I myself have posted on this site. How does one maintain their faith during times where God draws the line in the sand and we do not want to be standing with those receiving judgment? Though this may seem over simple, we need to care.

Those whom God receives He disciplines (Heb 12:6). When we accept and are changed by the discipline of the Lord, we will stand on the right side of the line. Here is where carelessness enters in; if we think we can sin and receive a “time-out”, and then be returned to good graces with the Lord, we are mistaken. This is a careless attitude towards the One who holds out the word of life to us. Only children see their mischief as more of a reward than the punishment they will suffer for doing it.

The prophecies about the flood in California, and the earthquake, are not about God disciplining His people; they are about judgment. Judgment, though an unpopular word in most Christian circles, is about an irreversible change God brings about, catching some men on the wrong side of the line. Though we don’t want to see this happen, yet God has His reasons for judging the lives and works of men, and bringing a knowledge of His existence to the lost.

How does the Bible tell us to live, then, if judgment awaits us? Since judgment “ends” things as we know them, whether it be closure of businesses (or churches), or loss of housing, things do not return to the same state once judgment has come. Peter tells us “The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear-minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.” (1 Pet 1:5). He asks us to love one another, offer hospitality, and use our gifts for the benefit of the brethren (vs 6-11).

To begin with, we are to pray. This will get our minds on what the Lord has to say . . . for before judgment, we do not see things changing. Second, our works are to be for the sake of others, and not ourselves. And third, we are to walk in faith, stewarding the gifts God gave us, holding in our minds that it is His work through us that will benefit and help prepare others.

We see ourselves as imperfect people, always in need of cleansing by the Holy Spirit. Yet if we do not walk in faith, entrusting the care of our souls to the One Who paid the price to redeem us, we will never get our eyes off of our own insufficiency. Let us contend today for faith in our trials, hardships, and persecutions. Let us care about what the Lord has said in His word, and personally to us, and let us persevere in prayer and good works towards the brethren. When irreversible judgments come into our land, we will stand on the right side of the line. Amen.

Strange Fire

It is our human nature to want our own way. Observing children reminds us of this. If we do not train them to be patient, and follow good examples, they increasingly become more impatient and set on having what they want. After all, from their perspective, what they want is what they also understand to be “good.” In like manner, man’s perception of good is based on his understanding of what he wants and perceives as good. And our performance of good stems from desiring either our way, or God’s way.

We find examples of people following their own understanding in the scriptures. Concerning watchmen, Isaiah prophesied that they had become “shepherds who lack understanding; they all turn to their own way, each seeks his own gain.” (Is 56:10-11). These men had ceased caring for God’s flock and their concerns were about their own benefit. They lacked God’s understanding of what good was, and sought after what they thought was good. Spiritually, they were in darkness.

As Christians, though we walk in the light of God’s Spirit within us (and the light of His living Word), at times we find ourselves to also be struggling with a lack of understanding. This is through no fault of our own. God directs us, then steps back (to allow our growth in His Words as we follow that direction). At these times we naturally seek further understanding on how to follow Him when we have gone as far as we know how.

This period of time in which we lack understanding is called “darkness”. It is the in-between stage; in-between the light of understanding and the next light of understanding. Just as we have day, followed by night, and then followed by the next day again, so we have understanding, lack of understanding, and then understanding again. Peter describes this process in speaking about God’s word; “And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your heart.” (2 Peter 1:19). The light is shining somewhere, but not until dawn will it shine on us. Likewise, an understanding of what puzzles us lies somewhere, but we won’t have that understanding until the Lord causes it to “dawn” on us, thus bringing His true understanding by His Spirit when the morning star rises in our hearts.

Being in darkness tests the best of us. We want to know what is a good way to follow, but find ourselves temporarily without the light of understanding. It is a test every true believer finds himself in. Isaiah writes about this test also. “Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the word of his servant? Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God.” (Is 50:10). So we see it is a test of trusting in God, and that He will cause the understanding to dawn on us.

Isaiah continues by writing about those who fail this test of reliance on the Lord for their understanding. “But now, all you who light fires and provide yourselves with flaming torches, go, walk in the light of your fires and of the torches you have set ablaze. This is what you shall receive from My hand; you will lie down in torment.” (Is 50:11). Another translation uses the word “sorrow” for torment, and if we look at the Hebrew root of the word we find “anguish, grieve, worry, hurt”. Lighting the fires of our own understanding will not bring us to the true understanding from the Lord.

In having God’s understanding, we can proceed with wisdom. Wisdom proceeds from understanding. We can discern understanding by looking at the fruit of what follows our understanding. James writes that earthly wisdom harbors envy and “selfish ambition” within it (Jms 3:14). The fruit of God’s understanding manifests itself in wisdom that is “pure, then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere.” (Jms 3:17).

Ambition for oneself has caused God’s displeasure on many occasions. Substituting the fire of our own understanding for the fire of God’s understanding will give us light so that we can go in the way we think is good . . . but it is the wrong way, and we will be grieved in the end. It is as if we put “strange fire” on the altar of our hearts. This strange, or alien fire, has its consequences. Here, Dave will write about the consequences of lighting the fires of our own understanding;

In Leviticus 10:1-2, Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu each offered the Lord inappropriate fire with incense on it which the Lord had not enjoined upon them. As a result, the Lord consumed their lives and they died. In Acts 5:1-11 a similar incident is repeated to show (that with the tabernacle of God residing in each person’s heart) each person is also held accountable as a priest offering spiritual incense within one’s own heart. Therefore, for the same reason that inappropriate action brought death to Nadab and Abihu, so inappropriate action in their hearts (out of their hearts came lies – see Matthew 15:18; Matthew 12:34; Luke 6:45; Eph. 4:29; James 3:14; 1 Sam. 24:13; Is. 32:6) also brought death to Ananias and Sapphira. Paul, in 1st Corinthians 11:28-32, also warns about God’s judgment for inappropriate actions in following the directions of the Lord’s Supper.

In Leviticus 10:3, Moses explains God’s position regarding our obligations as priests. “By those who come near Me, I must be regarded as holy; and before all the people, I must be glorified.” As God’s priests, we are to follow what the Lord “has enjoined upon us”…nothing more or nothing less. Using our own understanding does not bring glory to God, but to oneself. In times of darkness, it is tempting to use our own understanding (especially if we lack patience or are unable to subdue our own ambition to humbly wait upon the Lord for His direction). His Holy Spirit will consume (Ex. 24:17; De 4:24; Heb.12:28-29) anything that does not bring glory to God. It is futile, then, to believe that acting in a manner that rewards our perspective of good will bring us into a good standing with God. Obedience is far more important to God than sacrifice (1 Sam 15:22; Eccl. 5:1; Hosea 6:6; Matt. 5:24; 9:13; 12:7; Mark 12:33).

Thank you , Dave. Today, let us put self-ambition and impatience away from us and rely on and trust in the Lord for all that we do not understand. Then our lives will bear the fruit that glorifies Him as His light comes and understanding dawns on us. Amen.

The Church

In The book of Revelation we see the future of the church, the judgment of God, and the marriage of the Lamb with His Bride. Though the judgments seem harsh, God’s requirements of His people are commensurate with what He gives. Of whom He has given much, the more will be required (Lk 12:48). When Jesus brought the Kingdom of God to the sons of Man, He set the souls of the unsaved in their hands, and the outcome of the whole world. The following is a prophecy and a lesson concerning the content in Revelation chapter 18, and addresses the statement that Babylon, the Church, will be judged for “all who have been killed on the earth.” (Rev 18:24b).

The men of the world do not require much from the Church. Their standards are set by permissiveness and ingratiation of their lusts. These men have been happy for the fellowship with the church, and so was formed the liaison of adultery. For, being God’s wife, the Church made a friendship with the world, and thereby became an enemy of the works of God (Jms 4:4).

The Church had been entrusted with the salvation message for the world, and through her pollution with the world, she corrupted the message so that men felt comfortable in their sins. Because of her corruption, men were no longer able to reason. Therefore they lost discernment between good and bad, right and wrong, justice and injustice, light and darkness. This blurring of their integrity with the world overtook them like a drunken stupor, for just as a sailor needs a compass to find his path through the sea, men need a standard to live by.

When the worldly men awake from their intoxication they will hate the Church’s impurity. So grave is her pollution that she is no longer able to save men with her message, the gospel, but instead has become corrupt. They are no longer set at ease by her royal decrees of grace in their sins, for she has lost her authority and place with God. Her words are empty.

These worldly men, formed in the full image of their flesh unrestrained and perfected in pride, no longer feel the need for absolution for their sins. Indeed, the men of the last hour will believe themselves to be as God. Therefore they hate the whorish wife of God, for the standard of purity she once brought to the earth hangs over them as an awaiting judgment . . . yet she has no real concern for their souls and has lost the message of salvation. Therefore it is apparent that the Church has no real love for the lost souls of Mankind.

The Church was given God’s golden cup of truth in her hand whereby to teach men the way of God. Because she has polluted the truth with abominable lies, the world has lost its way. Therefore, she is charged with the souls of men, for as the church goes, so goes the world. God entrusted the Church with His power, wisdom, and knowledge, and gifted her as one bedecks His beloved bride with gold, jewels and pearls. All that is precious in her was given because of God’s great love for her. And all that was given to her, every gift, was for the salvation of souls.

As a watchman is accountable for the souls he warns, to turn them away from the sword (Ez 33), so the church is accountable for the souls of the earth. God has no pleasure over the loss of souls; the Church was to be a light that would cause men everywhere to see the truth entrusted to her by God. God gave much to the Church, therefore He requires much from her. Amen.

the protection of forgiveness

Last night the Lord was telling me how important forgiveness is. It protects our hearts from the enemy’s attacks. In the parable of the unmerciful servant we read that the consequences of not forgiving are torment (Mt 18:34). We have been forgiven, and we must forgive.

The word “torment” is also used in Revelation where we read about the spiritual scorpions who sting those that do not have the seal of God in their foreheads (Rev 9:5). These people will feel poisoned, and though their torment lasts only for a season (5 months) they will wish to die. Interestingly, the king of the scorpions is called the destroyer, the same one we know as satan (Rev 9:11. Also see John 10:10). Satan, the accuser of the brethren, seeks to destroy men.

How is forgiveness, then, a protection against our enemy? If we look at the progression of the unforgiving servant towards his time in prison, we see that first he was forgiven. Then he was presented with an opportunity to forgive. It was his choice, and he chose to not forgive. Therefore God turned him over to his tormentors. In Revelation we read where God sealed His servants in their foreheads first, and then the scorpions were released (Rev 7:2-3). Having a seal on our foreheads means the difference between the torment of our enemy, and the protection of our God.

The first account we have of a seal on the forehead is written about God’s first high priest, Aaron. The Lord instructed that a gold seal engraved with the words “Holy to the Lord” be placed on Aaron’s forehead, fastened with a blue cord. The purpose of the seal was to make the people Aaron ministered to acceptable to the Lord (Ex 28:36-38). Aaron’s seal bore the guilt of those he ministered to, just as Jesus bore the guilt for our sins. Aaron could not offer the people’s sacrifices on the altar and at the same time hold their sins against them. Their guilt was God’s alone to judge or forgive. This was how Aaron ministered forgiveness.

We read that the high priest was to “deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness,” (Heb 5:2). Yes, we ourselves sin and are in need of forgiveness. It only makes sense to forgive others, and in order to be forgiven ourselves, we must also forgive (Mt 18:35).

Satan accuses us to ourselves, God to us, and our brethren to us. One of the items of our protective armor is the breastplate of righteousness (Eph 6:14). Strong’s concordance traces the word “righteousness” to a root word meaning “right”, as in principle, a decision, or its execution. Righteousness can be seen by right actions which come from right decisions, based on right principles. The decisions and principles reside in our mind and are influenced by our heart. If we want to be protected from our enemy’s torment in our thought-life, we need to make it our principle to forgive, and give mercy. Then we will be sealed in our forehead (our mind) with God’s nature of holiness, or “Holy to the Lord.” As He demonstrated long ago by the establishment of a priesthood that would impart forgiveness of sins, God’s nature is to forgive. We are now His royal priesthood. Our nature must also be to forgive sins. This will seal us in our minds, bringing protection against our enemy’s torment. Amen.