Separation of Soul and Spirit

One of the things that we want to keep in mind is that we are created in the Image of God (Genesis 1). Even though there is theological debate around this subject, I am a firm believer in the Doctrine of the Trinity. I do believe that God manifests Himself in three distinct Persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Spirit (Holy Spirit). Not three different gods, but One God who chooses to manifest Himself to humanity in 3 specific persons (Matthew 3, 1John 5). Based upon this belief, we also believe that human beings are what can be described as "tri-partite beings", meaning that we too are three in one: body, soul and spirit (1Thessalonians 5). The reason this is significant is because a lot of times we mistakenly associate the soul and the spirit and interchangeably make them synonymous. This is incorrect. There is a distinction between the soul of man (humanity) and the spirit of man. It is important that we learn the difference so that we can make a Separation of Soul and Spirit.

The soul consists of one's emotions, will and intellect. The spirit consists of one's values, beliefs and convictions. The Bible is clear on the fact that the soul and the spirit are not synonymous (Hebrews 4). With that being the case, we need to learn to distinguish within ourselves the distinction between the operation of the soul and the operation of the spirit. Why is this significant? Because there are too many believers that have more of a soulish relationship with God than they do a spirit-ual relationship. One of the things that I've learned over the years is that there are a lot of things that we do in the church that grow more out of our soul than they do our spirit. When you're being regulated more by your emotions and feelings than your faith and beliefs, you're being soulish, not spiritual. Jesus said that the Father is seeking those who will worship Him in spirit and truth, not "soul" and truth (John 4). That's why Jesus went on to say that God is a Spirit, not a Soul (John 4). So our ability to distinguish and separate the two has a major impact on the development of our relationship with God.

Too many of us are still regulating our relationship based on how we "feel". This, my brothers and sisters, is not of God. Yes, God wants us to be real with how we feel, but that doesn't mean that He wants us to be regulated by how we feel. "I don't feel like praying...I don't feel like studying...I don't feel like praising...I don't feel like serving". With all due respect, who cares! There are a lot of times you don't "feel" like going to work (if you have a job) but you go anyway don't you? (or at least you should) The point is that we've got to stop regulating our relationship by how we feel and how we think. One of the greatest enemies to God's Kingdom Agenda in the church is what people "think". What you think doesn't matter to God when it comes to the execution of His Divine Will (Isaiah 55). God cares about your Obedience not your Opinion! But once again, when we get wrapped up in "how we think" and "our perspective" and "our opinion", that's our soul, that's not our spirit.

We must mature to the point that we're regulated by our spirit. When this happens, then we're not pressed about feelings and we're not pressed about our opinion (or the opinion of others), we're only pressed about the Word of God. Hebrews chapter 4 says that the soul and spirit are separated by the Word of God. Our minds have to be renewed and then regulated by the Word of God (Romans 12). Then the Lord will "teach us" how to feel. He'll "teach us" how to think. And once we let the Word of God through the operation of the Holy Spirit, allow our spirits to regulate our beings, not our souls, we will be witnesses of the Miracle of the Separation of Soul and Spirit.

Failing Forward

The leadership expert John Maxwell has a book that he wrote years ago entitled "Failing Forward". The gist of the book is about failure being designed not to stop your efforts, but as a means of improvement and development towards the reaching of one's goals. This is a lesson that a lot of us as Christians could afford to learn. There's not a person alive on this planet today who, at some level and in some area, hasn't failed. Failure is a part of life. If you're going to live, you're going to fail. The question is not, am I going to fail. The question is, how am I going to respond after I experience failure? This is how we want to make sure that we're Failing Forward.

So many of us, and I'm guilty of this, want to succeed "the first time around". We want to make sure that we get it right "the first time". If it goes down that way, Great. But if it doesn't, what do you do then? Many times in the spirit realm, particularly in the area of ministry, if we don't get it right initially, or if our efforts don't meet with immediate success, then we think it's not for us or that it's "not God's will" for us to engage in that particular area. This is incorrect. A lot of times God will "allow" us to fail in a particular area for which He's ordained us to participate in, just to test our resolve and our Perseverance. Saints, we have to reach a point in our faith and our commitment to God where we recognize that Failure is Not Final. Just because we didn't get it "the first time" doesn't mean we got the Call wrong or that it isn't God's will. This is significant, because there are some areas that the Lord is going to lead us in that are actually going to require "practice". Areas of spiritual gifts and callings that some of us may have never operated in before, and God is calling us to function in those areas of anointing. Just because you "mess it up" the first couple of times or so, doesn't mean you're supposed to throw up your hands and "quit". Neither does it mean you're supposed to try to justify your "temporary inactivity" until you "mature in your gift" and can get it right. No, you grow "through" it. You learn to Fail Forward.

A good example of this, believe it or not, was Jesus. Do you remember the time when Jesus was healing the blind man (Mark 8)? If you remember the story, the man didn't receive his full sight "initially". Oh oh, Jesus failed! Now, of course we know that Jesus didn't fail, but it looked like it didn't? I believe that the Lord allowed this to be written (at least in part) to inspire us to forge ahead in ministry, regardless of the area (but particularly in the Ministry of Healing) even when we don't get the complete results right away. God is getting ready to call many of us into areas of ministry that we've never done before. Do you know what that means? We're going to make mistakes! We're going to mess up. We're going to get it wrong. But be Encouraged. Don't let your mishaps and foul-ups get you down. Don't hang your head. Persevere.  Hang on in there. And let the Holy Spirit teach you the art of Failing Forward.

REST

As we continue to progress through this Season of Summer, I'm finding that many of the Saints who have been on the Battlefield for the Lord are tired. This is something that has been addressed previously, but the soldiers are getting weary. In addition to continued encouragement and inspiration from the Lord, what a lot of the Saints need is simply REST. 

Believe it or not, this simple admonition is the key for the weariness of many of our souls. A lot of us are still convinced that once the Lord turns our circumstances and situations around, this will bring us the needed relief for which we have been expecting. This is true to a very large extent. But what needs to be realized is that when God makes this turn and the breakthrough is manifested, we are going to war. God might give us a brief reprieve, but the Season of Harvest and Warfare will commence and the battle will be On! So, now is the time to get your "second wind" and learn to REST.

The first area of REST we need to focus on is our ceaseless activity. Some of us just need to sit down. There are too many of us that are always "busy." Busy for the Lord mind you, but busy nonetheless. This is not the will of God. God wants us to learn how to REST.  Not just relax, but REST. For many in our society, rest is equated with relaxation and leisurely activity. Yes, the Lord wants us to have a good time from time to time. But if you notice, sometimes you've got to work "harder" just to prepare to have a "good time." The God we serve is a God of Rest (Genesis 1). Don't become a proponent of the "Martha Complex" (Luke 10). Martha was busy serving Jesus and wanted her sister, Mary, to come and help her; and Jesus told her, in essence, you're busy doing a lot of work, but Mary has learned to rest. It's alright to take a nap every now and then. It's ok to go to bed early. To go to bed period! We need to make sure we're getting enough physical REST.

Then the Lord said, "Come unto Me all ye that labor and are heavy laden...and ye shall find rest unto your souls" (Matthew 11). For a lot of us, our minds and our souls are restless. We're worried about this and we're worried about that. We're anxious for this and we're anxious for that. REST. There are some things you just can't do anything about. And worrying isn't going to help it get better, neither is it going to help you. The songwriter had it right, take your burdens to the Lord and leave them there. Many of us are tired because we're thinking too much. Give it to God. Take it to Jesus. Let Him give you rest, and you'll find rest for your weary mind and soul. REST.

The last thing is, we need to labor to enter His Rest (Hebrews 4). This seems like a contradiction, but it's the key to renewal and revival that so many of us are longing for. True rejuvenation for many of us is not rooted in the shifting of our circumstances, it's rooted in us learning how to rest in the Lord. The challenge is, you have to work for this. You have to be diligent. You have to make sure that you've allowed the Holy Spirit to conform every aspect of your will to the Divine Will of God. It's not easy. It requires sanctification, purification, consecration, self-denial, crucifixion, circumcision, dedication and commitment. Once again, it's not easy.

And for many of you, you're tired of the process. But when you resign yourself to the Cross that God has called you to bear, when you wrap your mind around the word that says "we are killed all the day long, we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter" (Romans 8), the Holy Spirit will bestow upon you a supernatural rest that will give you the second wind that you're looking for. 

Resign yourself to the struggle. Concede to the Lord that you're willing to die daily (1Corinthians 15). Quit fighting it! And when you do Saints, God has a rest that will facilitate your "crossing over to the other side." Be Encouraged Saints, and get some REST!

Cross-Identification

We are in a season saints where Discipleship Development is going to be significant. No longer will one be able to get away with just being a "church member". If you're claiming to be saved and a born-again believer in Christ, then the requirement and the standard will be Christian Discipleship. Unfortunately, Discipleship to Christ is not something that is always strictly adhered to in the Body of Christ. This slackness in faithfulness and commitment to our Lord is found significantly in our church leadership. As preachers and ministers of the Gospel, a lot of times we get more preoccupied with our gifts and anointing than we do the Anointed One. This lack of focus in church leadership has created a ripple effect in the Body of Christ to where the majority of believers are not reaching for Discipleship to Christ as the standard for their relationship with God. This is about to change.

For those that have made a commitment to Discipleship to Christ, I'd like to reinforce the requirements of Discipleship as laid out by the Master Himself. Jesus says in the 16th chapter of the Gospel of Saint Matthew, "if any man will come after me let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me". The question I'd like to ask today is, have you identified your Cross? A crossless church is an un-discipled church. No matter how much praise and worship is going on, Jesus said that if you're going to be my Disciple you have to Bear Your Cross (of course praise and worship is a fundamental part of that). We have too many Cross-less Christians professing the name of Christ. This is one of the reasons why the church doesn't have the power to usher in the Kingdom of God. The Key is the Cross. And if you haven't identified and embraced your Cross, I can assure you, there's an aspect of your relationship with God that is off. We need to make sure that we've established Cross-Identification.

One of the preludes to bearing one's cross and the identification thereof is self-denial. That is the first prerequisite of Christian Discipleship (Matthew 16). Remember, self-denial is not synonymous with the stopping of sin. There could be an area that you need to deny yourself in that is not overtly sinful or against the word of God. One area that I've recently had to deny myself in is TV watching. Not that I watch an exorbitant amount of television, but the times I was watching it were not congruent with God's "discipleship agenda" for my life, so I had to shut it down. It may be an area that's very simple and subtle, but critical to the formation of Christ's Discipleship spirit within you.

In your pursuit of Cross-Identification understand this on the front end, you're going to have to Suffer. In identifying and bearing your cross, you are going to have to experience some pain. You're going to have to endure Sacrifice. If you're "pain aversive" or you're not into Sacrifice and personal inconvenience, let me tell you right now, you do not qualify to serve as a Disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. You'll be one of the followers that "walks away" (John 6). Our society has conditioned us that Pain is bad. However, this is not totally true. Not all pain is bad, particularly when it's Ordained of God. I still believe in the saying, No Pain, No Gain. The Holy Spirit will give you the strength to endure the pain of your Cross. But the first item of business is the identification thereof. The Lord is allowing me to identify mine. Yes it's painful, but it's also liberating. Hebrews chapter 12 says, "looking unto Jesus...who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the Cross". Saints, there is reward for those that allow the Holy Spirit to discipline and teach them how to identify and thus bear and endure their cross. I'm not talking about in the "bye and bye" either. I'm talking about the here and now! God has some rewards and promotions that He's getting ready to bestow upon His chosen. But the rewards will not be received without Cross-Identification.

From Death to Glory

One of the things that I'm discovering is that in order to truly get to where God has ordained one to be, you have to be willing to die. This is not a message that is frequently preached, but it's a message that is consistently supported and reinforced in the Word of God. I'm beginning to believe that part of the reason why the church has not witnessed a major move of God within the last half-century or so is due in large part to our lack of acclimation to self-denial and sacrifice. However, as we prepare to enter into this next Move of God, it's going to be imperative that His people understand how to transition from Death to Glory.

The Apostle Paul says something in the third chapter of Colossians that ought to be the mantra of every born-again believer in Christ, "for ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God". That is a very powerful, powerful, statement. Do you recognize yourself as Dead? Not dead in Christ, but dead to self. Most of the time many of us are trying to obtain self-affirmation, self-recognition, self-promotion, self-reinforcement. Believe it or not, a lot of this is counter to the declaration that the Word has pronounced upon our being. Why are we trying to get recognition for that which is dead? Why are we trying to get affirmation and reinforcement for that which God has said is not alive? Once again, we think the problem is with sin, but it's not. The problem is with self; and if you haven't taken the time to agree in your spirit with the Word of God, then you're going to find yourself sub-consciously seeking for things and reaching for things that run counter to the identity for which Christ died for you to be. We need to definitively declare today according to the Word of God, I am dead. 

However, that's not the end of the scripture. The text also says that we are hid in Christ. When you reach for self and the promotion and fulfillment thereof, you become exposed to all of the wiles of the Devil. Yet, when you're hidden in Christ, you're Covered. Saints, I am persuaded that a lot of the drama and a lot of the heartache that many of us are experiencing is due in large part to us not taking the proper posture of being hidden in Christ. That's why Colossians 3 goes on to say "put on the new man". Put on Christ! Don't wear your own personal attitudes and opinions and dispositions. Let your disposition and approach towards life be hidden in Christ. Let His Spirit cover you. This requires a degree of humility because, quiet as its kept, many of us like our personality and perspective towards life. The only problem with that is, a lot of times our perspective is not congruent with God's (Isaiah 55). We need to be deliberate about being Hidden in Christ.

Lastly, the Good News is that our being dead is not the Final Analysis. There is Hope! The scripture goes on to say, "when Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in Glory" (Colossians 3). This is the part that we miss. Your being dead is not the focus. The Focus is the Glory of God, which is in Christ Jesus! (Colossians 1) As we embrace being dead to self, the Promise of the Father is, once Jesus appears, then we will appear with Him in Glory. Notice the scripture doesn't say "when He returns", it says when He appears. Jesus can appear to you at any time! (1Corinthians 15). And when He does, if you've adequately and sufficiently died to self and embraced your spiritual death sentence, then your New You will appear with Christ In Glory! Hallelujah!!! Aren't you excited about that? I am. But we have to be willing to embrace and endure the Transition from Death to Glory.

The Spirit of Fear

The Bible clearly states that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and of a sound mind (2Timothy 1). I am beginning to believe that one of the biggest impediments to the advancement of the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven is the spirit of Fear that has gained a stronghold in the church. If we are going to be available and fully engaged in the Kingdom Calling for which God is calling His chosen, then we must be delivered from this spirit of Fear. One of the challenges with fighting and defeating this spirit of fear is having a proper understanding of what it is. The general conception of fear is a state of being afraid or intimidated. Of course this is correct, but it's deeper than the surface. A lot of times we associate fear and the spirit thereof with anxiety and nervousness, an outward emotional expression based upon an internal disturbance for which we are overwhelmed. Once again, this is correct to a very large extent, but the spirit of fear that is paralyzing the church is a little more covert and subtle than this.

The spirit of fear that has a hold on the church is the fear of Insecurity. One of the basic psychological needs of human beings is a sense of Security. When people do not feel secure, then they act out this insecurity in very delinquent and dysfunctional ways. There are things that God is calling His people into that, quite frankly, many of us have never done before. That can be scary. Nothing's wrong with acknowledging that, but there is something wrong with giving into that. Why? Because that spirit is not of God (2Timothy 1). We need to understand during this Season that God is purposefully allowing us to encounter some situations that are over our heads. He's intentionally allowing us to be "overextended". Why? So that He can move us beyond our personal limitations and get us beyond our fears. The Kingdom of God cannot be established operating in a spirit of fear. Personal doubts, circumstantial questions, skeptical what ifs, not of God. So am I supposed to just charge ahead? There we go! That's it. What was the Battle Cry when the soldiers were getting ready to head into battle? CHARGE! Yes saints, that's what God wants us to do. He's Faithfully given you Revelation of what He's assigned you to do. Just Do It! I'm pressing this because any other "skeptical-cynical" spirit is not of God. That's why the Lord was so displeased with the children of Israel when they refused to march into the Promised Land at His Command. They were operating in a spirit of fear (Numbers 13).

What should allow us to rebuke and overcome the spirit of fear that is subtly shackling many of us, is the Word of Comfort that the Lord has given to us, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee" (Hebrews 13). When we demonstrate and manifest a spirit of fear, we are basically saying that we don't trust in the Security of the Lord. That is an Insult to Him. I'm sure we don't mean to be insulting, we're just trying to be real with where we are. But how would you feel if you were leading your child into a situation that you knew you had total control of, but yet they still didn't trust you. Notice I didn't say they were still scared, I said they still didn't trust you. The reality saints, when you experience fear over an area that the Father is leading you into, you're saying in essence that you don't trust Him. That He as God is not sufficient. I know you don't "think" that's what you're saying. But if you felt God was sufficient, then why would you be afraid? Do you see what I'm getting at. Let us learn to put all of our trust in God. Let us learn to truly take Him at His word. Then we will no longer insult Him by operating in the spirit of fear.

Preparation for the Crossover

Saints, we are in a time of Transition. For many, the nature of your situation and current circumstances, are a far cry from what they were say 2 to 5 years ago. And for many of us, it may not be what could be described as "for the better". But Be Encouraged, God is Still in Control. He is moving behind the scenes and He's setting some things up for His chosen that we would not be able to fathom in our most active imagination. But in order to receive what God has in store for us, we must make Preparation for the Crossover. Crossing over into God's Ordained Destiny for our lives is not something that just "miraculously happens". It does to a certain extent of course, but in order to successfully make the Transition for which God has ordained for our lives, it is imperative that we be Prepared.

One of the areas of Preparation for the Crossover is the development of a Soldier's Mentality. I still get the strong impression that a lot of Christians that attend church services, don't truly understand that when they accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, that they were actually enlisting in the Army, GOD'S ARMY. Yes saints, we are in the Military, and in order to operate successfully and effectively in the armed services, there's a certain mentality that is required. Soldiers don't function like Civilians. Civilians structure their lives to live a leisurely, casual lifestyle as much as they possibly can. Not that there are not certain demands placed on them, but they are not necessarily of a Military nature. When you're in the Army, particularly when you are at War, you're "always" on Guard. There's an Assertiveness that is required to function as a Soldier. I'd like to think of myself as a fairly disciplined individual. But I don't know if I would consider myself a "regimented" individual. When you're in the Service, everything is regimented, from the time you wake up till the time you go to bed. There is a Spiritual Regiment that God has devised for all of us that is part of our Preparation for the Crossover.

In conjunction with the Soldier's Mentality, we have to be prepared to fight for the Kingdom of God. This passiveness on behalf of many Christians, including those in leadership, must cease. It's Time to Go to War! If you're not ready to fight, then you're not ready to Crossover. God told the children of Israel that once they entered the Promised Land that they were to "possess the Land" by fighting the Canaanite nations that resided there (Numbers 33). Are you ready to fight? Are you ready to take back our neighborhoods, take back our communities, take back our families, take back our schools, take back our government, take back our institutions, take back our churches, take back this nation, for the Kingdom of God in the Name of Jesus Christ? God's not going to shower us with Miracle Blessings just to enjoy for our personal consumption. He's going to bless us so we can change the world in Jesus' Name. I pray that as we get closer and closer to this Season that you will allow the Holy Spirit to give you the Grace for the Preparation for the Crossover.

If Jesus Were Alive Today

Do you ever wonder what the world would be like if Jesus were alive today? Of course, we know He's alive, sitting at the Right Hand of the Father (Colossians 3). But I'm talking about alive in the flesh the way He was 2000 years ago. 

Do you ever wonder what the world would be like if Jesus was living on earth in the 21st century? The problem with that question is that it shouldn't have to be asked. Jesus is supposed to be alive today, walking the earth the way He did nearly 2000 years ago. The Presence of Christ is supposed to be as palpable now as it was when He was born in Bethlehem as King of the Jews. That's the purpose of the Church. The job of the Body of Christ is to represent and manifest the presence of Jesus in the earth realm in the present. So if Jesus is not "alive" in the earth today, it's not because He's not alive, it's because His church will not allow Him to live through her. 

Saints, we've reached a point in the history of the church where we now have to abandon religion. All of this tradionalized, denominationalism has to be done away with. It's restricting the flow of the life of Jesus in and through His Body, the church. The church is not a religious organization, she is a spiritual organism. We are no more effective than our ability to allow the Holy Spirit to manifest the life of Jesus Christ in and through us (2Corinthians 4). So, what would Jesus be doing if He were living in the earth today?


One of the first things Jesus would be doing is healing the sick. America is a sick country, and this includes the church! Diabetes, cancer, heart disease, hypertension and a host of other illnesses and diseases, is not the will of God. And yet there are thousands upon thousands of Christians who suffer through all types of arthritis and dementia and other types of bodily ailments. If Jesus were walking the earth today, such would not be the case. 

Jesus is a Healer, which means the church should be in the "healing business." No matter what a person's physical ailment is they ought to be able to come to the church with the confidence, or at least expectation, that the healing power of Jesus Christ is available. Is this a viable expectation in the church you attend? In most churches, it is not. Why? Because Jesus isn't allowed to live in most contemporary American congregations.

Another thing Jesus would be doing if He were living in the earth today is galvanizing the poor. I use the word galvanize because the disenfranchised and oppressed loved Jesus. His preaching was aimed at them (Luke 4). If Jesus were living in the earth today, the indigent would follow Him like He were a rock star. Why? Because He would be giving them hope. Not empty political promises, Hope! He would be empowering people and literally changing their social and economic conditions, thereby changing their very lives. 

In a lot of our churches today, people who don't meet a particular socio-economic status aren't even welcomed in our churches. Saints, it's time to do a gut check. The Master isn't going to continue to sit by and let the church for which He shed His Blood to purchase misrepresent Him. He IS the Head of the church, and Jesus will live in and through His people again.  

Left Behind

"Left Behind" by Tim LaHaye
and Jerry B. Jenkins can be
purchased at Amazon.com.

There is a movie and a book with the title, "Left Behind." The gist of the book is about those who didn't make the Rapture (the return of Jesus for His church). Even though this is a worthy topic to discuss, I'm more concerned at this stage for those who are on the verge of being left behind in this next move of God.

I'm concerned that there are more than a few professing Christians that really don't understand what time it is in the economy of God (the timing-plans of God). Time is winding up. Not strictly from a "dispensational" standpoint, but from a judgment standpoint. The judgment of God is getting ready to be released on this nation; and when it does, not only will the leadership of this country be held accountable, but the church will too! 

We have not served as the mouthpiece and the witness that God is calling for in these last and evil days. I am persuaded that if the church had exercised a stronger voice in the affairs of this country, some of the abomination and perversion that we've witnessed would not have transpired. Therefore, we need to insure that as God prepares to make a major move in the earth, that we as His people are not left behind.

One example of this is the children of Israel. God delivered them from Egyptian bondage through miraculous signs and wonders (Exodus 14). God provided for them in the wilderness and took care of their every need. But when it was time to cross over into the Promised Land, a whole generation of "church folk" got left behind (Numbers 14). Be not deceived saints, just because you've been in the church all of your life does not mean you're qualified to enter the next move of God. As a matter of fact, there will be more than a few congregations that will resist the move that God releases in the days to come. But there will be nowhere else to turn but to God. And the God that many "religious Christians" have manufactured is not the God of the Bible, nor the God that sent His only Begotten Son to die for the sins of the world. If you are still operating in disobedience and stubbornness to the revealed will of God for your life, you stand to get left behind.

Another example of this is Moses. Remember, Moses got left behind, too. One of the greatest men of God to ever walk the planet did not make it to the Promised Land; he too, got left behind (Deuteronomy 34). Why did Moses, as faithful as he was, get left behind? Unbelief. 

In order to progress with God, you have to walk by faith and continue to walk by faith. One of the biggest mistakes that a lot of church leaders make, particularly preachers and pastors, is that we get stuck into doing things the same way over an extended period of time. We must remember that the God we serve is a progressive God. He's not a God of digression, and He's not a God of stagnation, He's a God of PROGRESSION. God's ALWAYS Moving Forward! With this being the case, if you're going to move forward with God, you can't expect things to stay the same.

I truly believe that the philosophy of a lot of church leaders is, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Wrong. If God says, "fix it," then change It! There are a lot of things in the church that need to be changed. Not because they're old or outdated, but because they no longer reflect the movement of the Kingdom of God that the Father has ordained for this next season.

 No one wears shorts in the winter time (almost nobody). No one wears gloves and boots in the summertime. Why? Because it's not the season. Nothing's wrong with gloves, nothing's wrong with shorts. But something is wrong when they're worn, out of season. If we're not subscribing to what God has ordained for this Season saints, we too, like Moses and the children of Israel, will get left behind.

Hang in There!

A prophetic word went forth recently, and the word that the Lord gave to His prophet was, Perseverance. The Lord told His servant (and I paraphrase) that the people in the world persevere until they get what they want. They don't let obstacles and setbacks make them give up on what they're reaching for. The Lord went on to say, but with His children this is not the case. We give up too easily. Saints, this is a sad indictment on the Body of Christ. God is looking for some saints that will Persevere. He's looking for some soldiers that won't just throw in the towel when the going gets rough and it "looks like" the Enemy has the advantage. When things start not to go our way, and it looks like our efforts are in vain, we give up. Wrong! It's time saints that we learn to Hang in There!

The scripture says in Galatians 6 for us to "be not weary in well-doing". I know that this is an issue for many of us because a lot of us are tired. We're tired of being broke, tired of being stressed, tired of being sick, tired of being in pain, tired of the drama-whether it's with our family or friends or even the church. We're just tired. And if we be honest, we're tired of God. Not literally of course, but we're tired of praying, we're tired of sowing, we're tired of sacrificing, we're tired of serving, we're tired of studying and not seeing the results we're looking for. We don't mind being committed to the Lord, but we're like HOW LONG before the change comes? And we're tired. All of this is understandable, but saints we've got to Hang in There!

Romans chapter 8 says, "for we are saved by hope, but hope that is seen is not hope, for what a man seeth why doth he yet hope for it? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience (Perseverance) wait for it". That's the Perseverance that the Lord was speaking of to His prophet. The key to this Perseverance is Hope. The reason why a lot of us get frustrated and give up is because we're still being regulated by what we see. But what does the Bible say? Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. If we're going to operate in the Perseverance that God is looking for from His people, we have to be regulated not by circumstances and results, but by Hope. And Hope is the Revelation and Vision that God has promised to you according to His Word. So regardless of what people say, regardless of what the facts are, regardless of how you feel, your Hope is built on the Word and Revelation of God. That's why Romans 10 says, "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God". What are you hearing? Are you "listening" to what God is saying to you? What has God said about your finances? What has God said about your health? What has God said about your family? What has God said about the drama and stress? God has a word for everything you're going through. Once you sit still to hear and rehearse (which is re-hear) what God has already said to you, put your Hope in that. This will give you the strength to Persevere and saints you'll be able to Hang in There.

The Art of Forgiveness

I suspect that, unfortunately, there are still quite a number of Christians who love the Lord, but are still dealing with the issue of Forgiveness. There are still people in our lives that for one reason or another, we still have grudges against and bitterness towards. This is not the will of God. In order for us to progress spiritually and to get where God would have us to be, it is imperative that we learn the Art of Forgiveness. This may be easier than a lot of people think, but still it's not practiced as regularly as it needs to be, particularly in the Body of Christ. We must learn the Art of Forgiveness.

The first thing that we want to understand about Forgiveness is that it's Grace Based. The Forgiveness that God commands His children to have for one another is based upon the Grace of God. The Grace of God can be defined as God's Acceptance of us in spite of us. God loves us simply because He made us and He is Love. He's not waiting for us to "get it right" before He accepts us. The Scripture says we are "accepted in the Beloved" (Ephesians 1). Once you accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, God accepts you unconditionally. That's Good News! In spite of my sins, in spite of my habits, in spite of my shortcomings, in spite of my disobedience, God loves me and accepts me right where I am. That's Grace! It doesn't mean He wants me to stay where I am, but He "accepts" me where I am. This Grace is the basis of all forgiveness. We must learn to accept people unconditionally just the way God does with us. In spite of how you've been wronged or mistreated, at the end of the day there's one thing we know for sure, you're not God (Genesis 50). So you don't have the right not to forgive someone, particularly considering how God has forgiven you (Ephesians 4).

We also want to understand that Forgiveness is a decision. Sometimes you hear that forgiveness is a process; that it's going to take "time" for me to forgive someone. This is incorrect.  Forgiveness is not a process, it is a decision. You can make the decision to forgive someone immediately, particularly if you understand the application of Grace. What we confuse a lot of times is forgiveness with Healing. It may take "time" for you to get over the pain, the hurt, the abuse that you may have had to endure or absorb from someone. But this is not necessarily a reflection of forgiveness (even though of course it can be) but a lot of times it's due to a lack of healing. And what we do is think that because we're still hurting and associate the person with our pain, that we haven't genuinely forgiven them. This may be true, but it doesn't have to be. Forgiveness literally means the release of a debt. If I loan you $100 and you don't pay me back, I can forgive the debt, which means you no longer owe me the money. Now that doesn't mean I may not be disappointed by the fact that reneged on the loan, but technically, you've been forgiven. An example I often like to use is, if someone hits me in the face and breaks my jaw, I can forgive them right there on the spot. However, it's going to take weeks, maybe even months, for my jaw to heal. Do you see the difference? And believe it or not saints, the decision to forgive actually facilitates the healing process.

Lastly, we want to learn the Art of Forgiveness because our Salvation is contingent upon it. Jesus says very clearly, "but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (Matthew 6). Did you know that a lot of professing Christians are going to hell because of a lack of forgiveness? Not lying, not stealing, not adultery, not gossip, lack of forgiveness. Why is this the case? Because it is inexcusable for you to be a recipient of the Grace and Forgiveness of God and not have the heart capacity to forgive those who have sinned against you, regardless of what they've done. Is that grudge, is that bitterness, that you're holding onto worth going to Hell for? I think not. Now is the time saints to go to God, let the Holy Spirit work with you, and let Him teach you the Art of Forgiveness.

FOCUS

As we progress through this Summer Season and prepare to wrap up this Season of Basilisk, it is imperative that we remain FOCUSED. Satan is roaming about, seeing whom he may devour (John 10). It is up to us to be watchful, be sober, be vigilant and to remain prayerful (1Peter 5). We must remain mindful of the fact that we have only 2 more months till the beginning of the New Year on the Hebrew Calendar. I can assure you, as we move into the Season of Fall, you're going to witness some radical changes in your own life, the life of this nation, and the life of the world. But when these events hit, individually and collectively, we won't have time to get prepared then, we must get prepared now. We must make sure that we are in FOCUS.

One of the areas Jesus said that we need to remain focused on is the Kingdom of God. Jesus says in the 5th chapter of the Gospel of Saint Matthew, "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness". The top priority of all of our lives should be Seeking the Kingdom of God. And where did Jesus say the Kingdom of God is? In you (Luke 17). There is a war going on in each and every one of us. Who's going to rule over your heart and mind, GOD or the Devil? The catch is, you decide who wins the war. When you yield to the Holy Spirit, then God wins. When you yield to the flesh, then Satan wins (Galatians 5). This is a relentless war, but one for which God has given us the Victory in and through His Son Jesus the Christ (Romans 7). But in order to come out Victorious, in order that the Rule of God (His Kingdom) may prevail in you, you have to remain FOCUSED.

Another area for which we need to remain focused is our Affections. The scripture says that those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts (Galatians 5). The Affections of the Flesh represent the energy and passion that an individual directs towards something or someone that reinforces their self-worth, significance and self-esteem. The dangerous thing about the affections of the flesh is that they're not always overtly sinful. There's nothing in the Bible that says, "thou shalt not date". There's nothing in the Word that says, "thou shalt not watch tv for hours". The scripture doesn't say, "thou shalt not eat that chocolate cake". You're not going to find any of these "prohibitions" in the Word. However, all of these things and more, can represent affections of the flesh. I've had plenty of "girlfriends" that, at the end of the day, were primarily objects of my affections. But I wasn't sinning, right? This is the area where Satan wants to trip us up and why we have to remain FOCUSED. When it comes to nurturing our relationship with God, it's not always about "avoiding sin". A lot of times it's about monitoring our affections. The three areas that I mentioned earlier, even though none of them are inherently sinful, can all represent areas of self-indulgence. And believe me, once the Devil draws you into self, disobedience to God is borderline inevitable. But we can avoid this if we stay FOCUSED.

The last thing, in order to maintain our focus, we have to stay focused on Jesus. Colossians chapter 3 says, "set your affections on things above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God." Everything in our lives, and I do mean "everything" in our lives, should revolve around Jesus. When you operate with this type of FOCUS on the Lord, then it's not about avoiding sin, it's about arranging environments and making decisions where sin is not an option. Why? Because you're FOCUSED. When your focus is off, even just a little bit, you can sway off of God's Divine Course and Path for your life. But when it's all about Jesus, and He is the Love of your Life, then the Spirit will equip you with what you need to stay FOCUSED on the Lord.

Waiting for the Glory

One of the biggest challenges in working with God is learning how to wait on the Lord. The Lord is Sovereign. So He does things when He gets good and ready. You can't manipulate Him and you can't expedite His schedule. Therefore, it is imperative that we learn the art of Patience and learn to truly wait on Him (Hebrews 6). However, I believe that part of the challenge in waiting on the Lord is knowing what we're waiting for. A lot of times, we put our hope in material things or circumstantial situations, and are looking for God to change what we're going through. There's nothing wrong with this of course; but a lot of times it makes us put our hope in a Natural Manifestation that is Supernaturally Sponsored. I believe the Lord has a better way. At least for this Season, I don't believe that the Lord necessarily wants us waiting on some event or circumstance that's going to change in the Natural. I believe the Lord wants us to learn to Wait for His Glory.

The Glory of God is the Manifest Presence of God. This is the realm that Adam and Eve operated in before the Fall. This is the realm that Jesus operated in when He walked the earth some 2000 years ago. And this is the realm that every born-again believer is called to (2Peter 1). Most Christians understand the concept of Grace as it relates to our salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2). But I'm not sure that enough believers have a firm enough understanding of The Glory of God and the role the Glory plays in our relationship with God.

We want to understand that one of the main reasons that Jesus died for the sins of the world was to restore us to the place that we were in God before sin entered the human equation. As a matter of fact, Christianity takes us "beyond" where Adam and Eve were, but that's another lesson. We want to focus on "restoration", because if we can focus on regaining what Adam and Eve possessed in God before the Fall, we'll be in position for the Holy Spirit to take us further.

The scripture says in Romans chapter 5, "by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God". The whole point of Grace is not just to get us to heaven when we die. It's to position us so we can rejoice in Hope of the Glory of God. This is what the Father wants His children to reach for during this hour. Not money, not cars, not houses, not larger ministries but His Glory. Ephesians 5 says that Jesus will present Himself with a glorious church.

So what is the essence of this Glory? What does the Glory of God "look like" if you will? Christ in you, the Hope of Glory (Colossians 1). God the Father wants His Son to be duplicated and replicated in all of His born-again children. Why? Because Christ is the express image of the Father (Hebrews 1), which takes us back to the original plan for which God made humanity in the first place (Genesis 1). God is doing a New Thing saints. And when His Glory is manifested in and through His people with the releasing of the Latter Rain, eye hath not seen nor ear heard what God has in store for those who are indeed Waiting for the Glory.

 

Go Get A Life

If you're a devout believer in Christ, more than likely at some point in your walk with the Lord, someone has made the comment to you, "you need to get a life." You're not on the party scene, going to clubs. You're not dating anybody, no "romantic" interests. It doesn't seem like you do anything that represents "worldly fun." And more than likely you've heard the statement, "why are you always at church?"

Saints, if you've had to endure these comments, and deep down feel like at a certain level your "social critics" are right, be not discouraged. As Disciples of Christ we "do" have a Life. But in order for us to experience it and enjoy it, we have to know what it is.

Let me say very quickly that it was not God's intention for our lives to be consumed by "the ministry." Yes, all of us have a purpose. Yes, all of us have a calling. Yes, all of us have a divine assignment that is to be fulfilled before we leave this planet. But this divine calling is not our life. 

There are too many preachers, pastors and ministers of the Gospel that have operated under the misunderstanding that the ministry was supposed to be their Life. Wrong. That's why you hear of preachers talk about "burn out." That's why you see a lot of committed and dedicated ministers "fall" into some type of scandal or sin. Why? Because they've mistakenly made what God has called them to do their life. This is not the will of God.

Then you have people who have made their family their Life. Their ultimate devotion is to being available and accessible to their spouse and their children. This is noble and admirable, and definitely within the will of God. However, one's family is not supposed to be their life. Jesus made it clear, when asked about His family, that His definition of family was not restricted to the sociological "nuclear family" definition. Jesus said that those who do the will of His Father was His family (Mark 3). It's important to minister to one's family and fulfill the roles God has ordained us to fulfill. But the family cannot be one's life.

The Bible says explicitly that Christ is to be our life (Colossians 3). The reason why this is hard is because Jesus is Invisible. And we're so conditioned by the natural realm and the flesh, that we want something to be our life that we can relate to with our natural senses. This is where we do ourselves a disservice. The mystery is that life was never designed to be lived primarily at the natural level. It was designed to be lived at the supernatural level with the manifestation thereof in the natural realm. That's why God made humanity in His Image (Genesis 1). 

Remember, God is a Spirit (John 4). So the essence of man is spirit, which means the basis of our being rests in the invisible. We have to elevate our faith saints. We have to quit looking for security and reinforcement in the natural realm and begin to look for it strictly and solely in the spirit Realm in and through Christ. When we make this faith transition, then we will live out the words found in Colossians chapter 3: "For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ who is our Life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in Glory." 

It's the glorious life in Christ that the Christian is supposed to have. That's the life that, once we enter it and learn to function in it, the world will envy and long for. So, go ahead child of God, put your trust in the Lord and "go get a life!"

The Sanctification of Time

If there's one thing it seems our society is starved for today is time. No matter how many "to-do lists" you put together, no matter how organized you appear to be, at the end of the day it just doesn't seem like there are enough hours in the day. You can wake up early and go to bed late and it still seems like you can't get everything done that "needs" to get done. This is a universal dilemma, but one that has been thrust upon us by cultural society. 

God knew what He was doing when He put 24 hours in a day. He knew what He was doing in allowing the sun to be up for roughly 12 hours a day. I do not believe it is the will of God for society to be "hustle and bustle" 24-7. The God we serve is a God of rest (Genesis 2). And He has structured time in order for His Creation to get the rest we need in order to sufficiently glorify Him. Therefore, we don't need to be pressed about "getting more done in the day." We need to learn the art of "the sanctification of time."

The word, "sanctify," means, "to set apart." In a Christian context, it means, "to set something apart unto God for consecrated and sacred purposes." When we learn the sanctification of time, we learn how to structure our days, our weeks, our months, our years, our decades and our lives so that our time is sanctified unto Him (Psalm 90). This is not natural. If it were, more people who are industrious and successful would've learned how to do it. It's supernatural. And the reason the sanctification of time is supernatural is because it requires the leadership of the Holy Spirit to do it. If you don't submit to the leading of the Spirit in regards to the sanctification of time, you'll operate in the restlessness of the flesh, even if your intentions are good.

One of the first areas of time that we need to sanctify is our mornings. The first part of your day should be sanctified, set apart, unto the Lord. A lot of people go to the gym first thing in the morning, or get a cup of coffee and catch up on the news. Wrong. When you wake up to see another day by the Grace of God, you need to enter your waking hours in communion with the Father. This does not need to be sporadic; this needs to be every day. Let me also add, the earlier the better. The earlier you can wake and "seek His Face," the better you're going to function in your day. Why? Because you've started your day hooked up with Him Who is in control of your day. You're more "plugged in to God," if you will. So we need to be diligent about sanctifying our morning time.

We need to sanctify time to fellowship with the saints (Hebrews 10). You would think this would be basic, but you hear of more and more individuals that don't make it a priority to worship and fellowship with other believers in Christ. Notice I didn't say "go to church." There's a shift taking place in the Body of Christ where the traditional, Sunday morning worship experience will not be sufficient for the manifestation of the Kingdom of God. A lot of times we as believers will express more concern about whether a person is going to church as opposed to whether or not they're actually saved! (Trust me, I've done it) No. God is doing a new thing. But whether it's in a traditional setting or not, we can't be "Iso-Christians" – isolated unto ourselves. We have to make sure that we find a place where we can share our faith with other believers in Christ. The Lord is faithful.

Then saints, we need to sanctify time during the Holy Days. I don't have time to fully elaborate on this now, but God has certain Appointed Feasts according to the Jewish Calendar, that are to be set apart and sanctified unto Him. The primary appointments are in the Spring and in the Fall. I can assure you, when we enter the New Hebrew Calendar Year in September of 2015, that is a time that you want to make sure is sanctified unto the Lord. Let us be mindful saints. Let's not just be busy around the clock trying to get secular tasks accomplished. Let's make sure that we're vigilant to execute by faith the sanctification of time.

Circumcision of the Heart

As we prepare for the greatest move of God in the history of the earth, 2 things are key: Preparation and Position. Servants of God are constantly receiving words from the Lord for His people to remain focused. 

With this in mind, one of the areas for which we must remain focused is the condition of our heart. As much as we are pressing into His Kingdom, I suspect for many of us (at least for me), there are still areas that need to be circumcised. This is significant, because there are just some things that are not allowed into the Kingdom of God. Yes, you can be saved, but that doesn't guarantee you an inheritance in the Kingdom (Galatians 5). For this reason, we must embrace the principle of circumcision of the heart.

Circumcision was the sign of the covenant that God established with the Jews through the patriarch, Abraham (Genesis 17). The God we serve is a God of Covenant. This is the basis for how He has chosen to relate to His human creation. Even though the covenant people of God are no longer under the covenant of circumcision (we are now under the New Covenant established by the Blood of Jesus Christ, Matthew 26), the principle of circumcision is still applicable. 

Circumcision was the sign for all Hebrew males that they had submitted to the covenant terms that God had ordained for the recognition of His people. Circumcision was the cutting of the foreskin of the penis. Therefore, in order for circumcision to be executed, something had to be cut off. What is it in our lives that God is calling us to cut off before we can receive the Blessings and Inheritance that He has ordained for us in the Kingdom? Is it a relationship? Is it a habit? Is it a particular attitude or mentality? There's something that God wants to "cut off and cut out" to establish what He has ordained for our lives. The scripture says that circumcision is not external, but a matter of the heart and the spirit (Romans 2).

We also want to recognize a very important phenomenon as the children of Israel crossed over into the Promised Land. After God had miraculously parted the waters of the Jordan River and allowed the children of Israel to cross over on dry land (Joshua 4), before they fought the Battle of Jericho, God commanded that all the males be circumcised "again...the second time" (Joshua 5). This is very interesting, because even after entering the Promised Land, the people still had to be circumcised "again." Why? Because Saints, entering the Promised Land is about taking possession from the enemy. It's about warfare! And if there are dynamics in your soul and spirit that are kin to the agenda of the enemy, the Evil One will exploit you and ultimately defeat you. That's why the Father is giving us time to prepare NOW. There won't be time for circumcision once the fighting starts. And if you notice in the text, after the men were circumcised, they were immobilized. They couldn't move. They had to remain stationary "till they were whole." 

Let's not become immobilized, Saints, by delaying the cutting off of that for which God wants to remove. Let's be submissive to the Circumcision of the Heart.

Dealing with the Darkness

...(W)e must summon our courage and
our faith to deal with the darkness."

One of the things that we want to recognize in regards to the judgment of God is that there is an aspect of division that takes place when God decides to execute His divine judgment. 

We see this specifically when God was releasing the various plagues upon Egypt before delivering the children of Israel. During one of the plagues, God distinguished between the Egyptians and the children of Israel (Exodus 10). The distinction was marked by light and darkness. Saints, we are preparing to enter a season where God is prepared to distinctly distinguish between that which is "light" and that which is "darkness." This is significant, because if we don't deal with the darkness, we could actually find ourselves on the wrong side of the judgment of God.

We see this principle of distinction and division from God, "In the beginning" (Genesis 1). There are scholars that contend that when God was speaking to the earth while the earth was still void and dark (Genesis 1), that divine judgment had already been executed to make the earth in this condition. Be that as it may, we notice that the first thing the Bible records Jehovah as saying is, "Let there be Light". As we continue to read the narrative, we find that God proceeds to distinguish and divide the light from the darkness. The light is not designed to eliminate the darkness, but rather to illuminate it. As we move into this season of judgment, our job as the "children of Light" (Ephesians 5) is to expose the darkness, not necessarily extinguish it.

With this charge upon us, it is incumbent upon every believer to start to take serious inventory and examine the darkness that is within each and every one of us. All of us have, in the words of Star Wars, a "dark side." That's the whole issue of the sinful nature and the carnal mind. It is enmity with God (Romans 8). The challenge with the darkness within us, even as Christians, is that it is so subtle. But remember, that's how Satan works. We want to take the time to examine ourselves (1Corinthians 11) and allow the Holy Spirit to reveal to us those hidden pockets of darkness that still reside in our heart, mind and soul. We don't have time to ignore the darkness, we must be proactive in dealing with the darkness.

The last area that we want to address in dealing with the darkness is our fellowship with the darkness. The scripture clearly states that light has no communion with darkness (2 Corinthians 6). There are some associations, some relationships, some affiliations, that we have established that do not represent the Light of God but the darkness of the Enemy. Now is not the time for compromise! Now is not the time to "go along to get along." Now is the time to expose the darkness by standing in the light! Will you lose some friends over it? Yes. Will you be called out and persecuted as a result of it? More than likely. But will your Heavenly Father be pleased? Absolutely! Will you be rewarded? You better believe it! 

Christians and saints of God can no longer sit by and tolerate blasphemous and idolatrous behavior before our God! We've GOT to call the darkness out. God has our back (Isaiah 58). He will go before us (Joshua 5). But we must summon our courage and our faith to deal with the darkness.

The Divine Hook-Up

One of the preoccupations of our society these days, including for people in the church, is finding companionship. I don't meet too many people that "desire" to be alone. For this reason, you have different dating sites and singles clubs, all designed to "match you" with someone that is supposedly "compatible" for you. There's nothing inherently wrong with this if you will, but these types of things can serve more as a distraction than a blessing. What we want to realize is that if we are desiring companionship, particularly someone that we can ultimately marry, then we need to believe that God still majors in what I describe as The Divine Hook-Up.

I believe that God has given most people a desire to interact significantly with the opposite sex. To want to be with someone, I believe, is of God. The problem is not the desire, the problem is the approach. God does not want us spending energy trying to "find our spouse." Believe it or not, that's His job. Our job is to seek His Face and do His will (Psalm 27). However, it's hard to do this if we don't really believe that while we're seeking His Face, He's actually "hooking us up"

Let's look at some scriptures. When we look at the first marriage in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2), there's nothing that suggests that Adam "requested" a wife. The Bible suggests that Adam was simply being about His Father's Business. Yet it was the Father who declared that it was not good for man to be alone (Genesis 2). It was at this point that God proceeded to "hook him up" and make for Adam a wife. Did you know that God is still in the "spouse making" business? The Bible clearly states "ask and it shall be given..."(Matthew 7). You can get what you want. Not necessarily "who" you want, but what you want. God is still making husbands and wives that are tailor-made to fit the needs and purpose of His people.

Then we see in Genesis how God uses Abraham to find a wife for his son Isaac (Genesis 24). In this narrative Abraham is a type of God the Father, and Isaac is actually a type of Christ. However, the methodology utilized in this text is still consistent with how God goes about providing a marital partner for His people. Abraham sends his servant to go to his homeland amongst his kinspeople, to find a wife for his son. The servant is led by an angel to complete this assignment. 

The Father already has people stationed to bring your spouse to you at His Appointed Time. He doesn't need your help! God has already ordained who He has identified to help you fulfill His Purpose for your life. If you follow the story, you'll notice that Isaac had absolutely nothing to do with the securing of his bride. That was his "father's" job. Just as it is our Heavenly Father's job. 

So, am I supposed to do nothing in the receiving of my spouse? Once again, let's look at scripture. When the servant of Abraham returns with Rebekkah, Isaac's wife, the scripture says that he "went out to meditate in the field" (Genesis 24). In other words, he wasn't focused on finding his spouse, he was focused on seeking God! And because he was focused on seeking God, God brought him his wife (Matthew 19). 

Quit focusing on finding your husband, quit focusing on finding your wife. Focus on God and His Will and Purpose for your life. And as you meditate on Him, you'll look up like Isaac did and discover that God is still in the Divine Hook-Up business.

The Temple of God

"At the risk of sounding legalistic and judgmental,
 if you are a Christian, you don't need to be
smoking, period." 

As I talk to more and more believers, I'm finding that several Christians are having what I would describe as "health issues" or health concerns. It's not so much that they are "unhealthy" per se; but that there are issues concerning their health that require immediate attention. Not necessarily "medical" attention, but personal attention. The reason I believe this is the case is because there's a fundamental truth to Christianity that oftentimes the church "conveniently" overlooks; we are The Body of Christ. 

The church is the Body of Christ. Body, not signifying organization, but body as in physical organism. Yes, the church is a spiritual entity of course, but we represent the physical manifestation of Jesus in the earth. And the only way we can do that is if we have a "physical" body, an anatomical structure.

The reason this is important is because for too long, many Christians have chosen to "neglect" their physical health, sometimes in the name of spiritual pursuits. This is not the will of God. The Father wants us to be whole (holy) in body, soul and spirit (1Thessalonians 5). Therefore saints, it's imperative that we understand that as believers in Christ, our bodies represent The Temple of God.

The fact that our bodies represent the Temple of God means that God actually "dwells" within us (1Corinthians 6). Not just the Holy Spirit, but also the Father and the Son (2Corinthians 6, John 14). But if you know the character of God, He's not going to dwell, or abide in an unclean Temple. We don't have time to elaborate, but there is a difference between the residence of the Holy Spirit within the believer because of the redemptive Blood of Jesus Christ and the dwelling of the Father (Romans 8). That being said, we have to do a better job of taking care of the Temple.

One of the ways we need to do this is by watching our diet. Saints, the days of just eating whatever we want to eat are over! There are too many Christians dying prematurely because they have refused to modify their eating habits. What I ate in my twenties, I can't eat in my forties. And guess what, neither can you! I believe this is one of the main areas that Jesus was referring to when He talked about "denying yourself" (Matthew 16). The word Disciple comes from the word discipline. If you're going to be a Disciple of Christ, there must be a degree of discipline in the area of what you consume in regards to what you eat. As The Temple of God, it's not God's will for us to be overweight and sickly; particularly if there's something we can do to address it. Let's become more diligent in watching what we eat in regards to the Temple of God.

Next we need to look at certain vices that we place upon our bodies. At the risk of sounding legalistic and judgmental, if you are a Christian, you don't need to be smoking, period. That includes cigarettes, cigars and of course, anything else that has been deemed "illegal" or addictive. Yes, you can be a Christian and still smoke and what not; but the question is, "What are you doing to the Temple of God?" Do you really think it's God's will for you to "puff up" His House? Really? I don't think so. We'd be more apt to cease this behavior if we took into stronger account our status as the Temple of God.

And lastly Saints, we have to put an end to sexual immorality. Let me state for the record, any sexual activity outside the boundaries of marriage is against the Divine Will of God. That includes pre-marital sex, oral sex and masturbation. This type of uncleanness is not pleasing to God (1Thessalonians 4, 2Corinthians 6). The church has skirted over this issue for years and our witness in this area has become deplorable. We must re-establish the standard. We will not attract the Presence of God indulging in sexual immorality. Is it easy to abstain? No it is not, particularly if you've already become sexually active. But God's Grace is sufficient. Not just for forgiveness, but for empowerment in righteousness to execute the Divine Will of God for our lives. 

Saints, as we move forward, let us be cognizant in our attitudes and behavior that we are in fact The Temple of God.

The Temporal vs The Eternal

One of the challenges for many Christians in regards to conceptualizing the true depth of the Kingdom of God, is the finite conditioning we've received from living on this planet. If the prayer that Jesus taught us to pray is going to become a reality, we have to start making the difference between the temporal realm and the eternal realm (Matthew 6). Needless to say, they are not synonymous. 

The challenge is that many of us, as much as we love the Lord and worship God, are still being restricted by the limitations of the temporal realm instead of learning how to operate and function primarily within the eternalrRealm. In order for us to be used by God to usher in His Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven, we must begin to make this shift.

The first thing that we need to come to grips with is that man (humanity) was not created to be finite. God made us in His Image and after His likeness (Genesis 1), which means we were made to be eternal. Not just live eternally, but to be eternal. Another challenge that many of us have is we think of eternal life as life without death. Wrong. This conceptualization is incorrect. 

Eternal life is not just "unending life," it's GOD'S LIFE. Every created human being will live eternally (in heaven or hell), but not every human being will experience eternal life. So, we must come to understand that God did not create us to live within the restrictions of finite existence but within the realm and dynamics of eternal existence in Him.

Next we need to understand what it means to actually have eternal life. Eternal Llfe, once again, is not just mortal existence that has no ending; it's immortal existence defined by the life Of God. This is the realm that Adam and Eve operated in before The Fall, and the realm that Jesus operated in as the Son of God. This eternal life, the God Life, is marked by living and operating in the Glory of God. 

The supernatural realm of the Glory of God is the standard that God has established for His human creation. This was modeled and exemplified by His Only Begotten Son, Jesus the Christ. Now, as the born-again children of God, redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb (Jesus Christ), we are now, through the regenerative and transforming work of the Holy Spirit, supposed to regain that which Adam had in the Garden of Eden, and what Jesus demonstrated when He walked the earth in human flesh. This, my brothers and sisters, is Eternal Life.

Once we assume our position and inheritance in the supernatural-eternal realm, we will live at a level that will exceed the imagination. Time travel, translation, multiplication, working of miracles, signs and wonders; all of these things, and many more, will be the norm for the believer who has learned how to tap into the dimension of eternal life found in and through Jesus the Christ. This is what the Father has in store for His children. This is the Inheritance of the saints. Not just in the bye and bye, but in the here and now. But in order to experience this realm, we have to release the ties to the Temporal, and walk by faith into the Eternal.

Once Saved, but not Always Saved

There is a grave misconception in the Body of Christ that once you become saved you cannot lose your salvation. This, my brothers and sisters is incorrect. 

The old saying, "once saved, always saved" is not biblical. You can, in fact, lose your salvation; meaning that you can be saved at one time, but then lose your salvation and go to Hell. This is significant, because there are more than a few professing believers in the church that, unbeknownst to themselves, are headed straight to Hell. Why? Because even though at one time they may have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, somewhere during the course of their relationship with Christ, they got off track and subsequently forfeited their relationship with God and their eternal salvation as well. 

This is not a popular teaching, but a necessary one; because, as stated earlier, there are several people going to church that are sincere about their faith in Christ, but there's only one problem, they're sincerely wrong. Yes saints, you can accept Christ and then lose your salvation and go to Hell.

How does this happen? Well let's look at Scripture. In Hebrews chapter 6 it says, "it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance.".

This scripture is loaded, because it talks about the possibility of someone having the Holy Ghost (which is the seal of salvation, Ephesians 1), falling away, and not being able to be renewed again unto repentance. The reference to being renewed "again" implies that they were already renewed once. Repentance is the first step towards salvation (Acts 2, Acts 20). The reference to being "renewed again unto repentance", suggests that they had already repented towards God once, but they're not in position to repent again. This scripture shows how you can be saved and thus LOSE YOUR SALVATION.

What is the basis of one losing their salvation? Jesus says in the 3rd chapter of the Gospel of Mark, that the only unforgivable sin is blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is the denial of the leadership of the Holy Spirit for your life. God has mercy and grace for your sins, even the habitual ones that you commit over and over again (Romans 7). But what He doesn't have tolerance for is rebellion and defiance (1Samuel 15). 

God knows we're subject to make mistakes and go against His Divine Will. That's why He sent His Son to die for our sins (John 3). But God also sent His Holy Spirit to convict us of sin (John 16). When you no longer allow the Holy Spirit to convict you of those things in your life that go against the Divine Will of God, you stand in danger of judgment and consequently, the possibility of losing your salvation; or to put it bluntly, going to Hell. 

There are several believers that, for whatever reason, have allowed Satan to deceive them into thinking that what God said was wrong, is alright for them. This is outright rebellion to God. If you stumble "490 times" and go to the Lord and confess your sin, His Grace and Mercy is sufficient (Matthew 18). But once you start saying, "I'm going to continue to think this way, I'm going to continue to behave this way" regardless of what the Word and the Holy Spirit say? You're headed to Hell!

As I prepare to close, a woman of God shared a story with me about a preacher friend that they knew that recently passed away. Before the preacher passed, he had been persistently promiscuous with various members of his church. The woman of God gave him a prophetic warning that, if he didn't "mend his ways," he would be going to Hell. This was a man of God, a pastor, someone who believed in the Lord, but his salvation was in jeopardy because of his refusal to receive the conviction of the Holy Spirit in this area of his life. 

Saints, don't let this be your commentary in regards to relationship with Christ. Let the Holy Spirit convict you and renew you so that you may be conformed to the Image of Christ (Romans 8). For remember, Once Saved, but not Always Saved.

Taking Territory

As we enter this Summer season and this pending season of judgment, we as believers need to be excited about what the Lord is prepared to do on behalf of His people. Not only is God ready to deliver many of us from the bondage of Egypt, but for many of us He's ready to bring us into the Promised Land. Believe me when I tell you, this is Good News! 

There are more than a few saints that have grown weary of their "wilderness wanderings." Even though the wilderness is the setting where God teaches many of His Kingdom lessons, it's still a hard terrain to cover. But be not discouraged saints, God is ready to cross us over the Jordan and take us into the Promised Land! The promises and blessings and miracles that God has declared unto you, you need to be actively preparing your heart to receive. Glory to God!!!

As God prepares to release His Miracle Blessings upon His people, what we want to be mindful of is the expectation that God has of us once He opens the Jordan and miraculously takes us into the Promised Land. God doesn't expect us to rest on our laurels. He doesn't expect us to "chill". He's bringing us into the Promised Land to Take Territory. When you read the account of Israel's transition from the Wilderness to the Promised Land, you see that one of the first things God had them to do was fight. That's what the Battle of Jericho was all about and the walls coming down (Joshua 6). Let us understand on the front end saints, when God brings us into that place for which our hearts have desired for years, it will not be a time to become complacent, it will be a time to go to War.

In terms of Taking Territory, the Territory we will be taking will be for the Kingdom of God. The Father's desire has always been to establish His Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven (Matthew 6). Now that His King is in place (Matthew 28), all that has to be done now is for His Army to be equipped and prepared to go into battle. Our job as the Body of Christ will be to fight and Take Territory for the Kingdom of God that has been usurped and stolen by Satan and the kingdom of darkness. God will do the fighting, but in terms of the operation of the earth realm, God has ordained that the fighting be done through the vessels for which He's given oversight of the earth.

God is ready to re-establish the understanding amongst humanity that HE IS GOD, and beside Him there is no other (Isaiah 44). Every area that the Devil has taken to promote his satanic agenda, God is ready to do a Takeover. The corporate community, the financial community, the economic system, the political system, the educational system, the criminal justice system, the entertainment industry, the sports industry; God is ready to takeover all of these areas for the Advancement of His Kingdom.

Are you ready to go to war? There's always the threat of casualties when the soldiers go into battle. There will be serious spiritual, demonic and satanic warfare (Ephesians 6). That's why God told Joshua to "be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid" (Joshua 1). I pray that all of us will be prepared when the trumpet sounds and the alarm is given, to be used by God for the purpose of Taking Territory in His Name.

The Glory of The Cross

Generally, when we think about the Glory of God, we think about the Manifest Presence of God. This of course is correct. We generally think of God operating in His Power, operating in miracles, signs and wonders. All of this is accurate in terms of describing the Glory of God and the manifestation thereof. But a lot of times, we may very well miss the greatest manifestation of God's Glory in the Earth. 

I believe that the greatest manifestation of the Glory of God was in the Cross. Initially this may appear to be a contradiction. Glory usually carries the connotation of Grandeur, Majesty, Greatness, Rulership. None of these attributes seem to be characteristic of The Cross. However, that is the very reason why it may well have been the greatest manifestation of the Glory of God the earth has ever seen.

One of the things that we miss about God is the extent of His humility and meekness. Remember, when you see Jesus, you're seeing the express image of the Father (Hebrews 1). Jesus said in Matthew chapter 11, "I am meek and lowly in heart". Therefore, if Jesus was meek and lowly in heart, the Father is meek and lowly in heart. 

The Bible says that God is Love (1John 4). The Book of Corinthians describes love as "longsuffering" (1Corinthians 13, KJV). The God we serve is a God of Power. The God we serve is a God of majesty. The God we serve is a God of the miraculous. But the God we serve is a God of humility and lowliness. The God we serve is a God of suffering. This is why Jesus demonstrated this more than any other man who's ever walked the earth.

The challenge for us as Christians is to allow the Holy Spirit to renew our minds (Romans 12) so that we will perceive Glory the way God does. God has commanded us to love (John 13). God has called us to suffer (1Peter 2). This is the Glory that God is calling us to (1Peter 5). Not just the Glory of His Presence, but the Glory of the Cross. 

Yet the true mystery is, that the true Presence of God is found in the Cross of Christ. This is why we keep missing God in the earth realm. This is why the church majors in ministry but not in His Presence. You can access the Presence of God through worship and praise. But in order to maintain the Presence of God, you have to tap into the Glory of the Cross. And because we don't have enough believers, including preachers, that are willing to consistently deny themselves, carry their Cross, and follow Him, most moves of God cannot be significantly sustained over an extended period of time. 

Saints, we are about to embark upon one of the greatest moves of God the earth has ever seen. God is going to move in miraculous and glorious ways. But when the Latter Rain comes, and the move of God hits, let us not forget that in order sustain the movement and Presence of God, we must answer the call of the Glory of the Cross.