All Things

The Bible says, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8). I think sometimes, in quoting this scripture, that we tend to forget that the Word means what it says and says what it means. "All Things" work together for our good. I'm stressing this point because, for many of us, there are "a lot of things" that don't seem to be very good right now. Our financial situation, is not good. Our job situation, is not good. Our health and physical condition, is not good. Our family and relationship situation, is not good. Even our church and ministry situation is not good. And as we ponder and peruse these various scenarios in our lives, we're tempted to draw the conclusion that these very trying circumstances are not good for us and not good for our lives. But this is not the Word of God. If you love the Lord and are the called according to His purpose (and only you can make that determination) then you need to understand and embrace by faith that All Things are working for your Good.

The first thing we want to examine is that everything you're going through has been Divinely Ordained and Designed for your Edification. Edification means to be built up, and in this context it means to be spiritually built up in the Lord. Remember that the objective of Salvation is to be conformed to the Image of Christ. Also, as a believer in Christ and as a child of God, nothing-and I mean absolutely nothing- is happening in your life arbritrarily or coincidentally; it's happening Providentially. God IS in control. So in the midst of the challenges, in the midst of the pain and in the midst of the frustration, you want to ask the question, "Lord, how are you using this to edify me in You?" As God is faithful to give you the Revelation for this question, it will allow you to then posture and position yourself spiritually to see the Good in what you're going through because you'll see how's it's reinforcing God's Salvific Objective in your life.

Lastly, whatever you're going through is working for your Good because it's been Divinely Designed to serve as Eternal Reinforcement. One of the things that the Lord is going to restore and re-establish in His Church is the understanding of living in the Eternal Dimension of Reality. This means that as believers in Christ, we're not living for time, we're living for Eternity. Therefore, you don't measure your experiences within the context of a temporal time-frame, you measure your experiences based upon your Eternal Destiny. Do you understand that you will still have a "ministry" even after you've left this planet in the Natural? And what you'll be doing for Christ "after" you die, will be greater and last longer than the ministerial position, office or post for which you're serving now. That's why it doesn't make "faith sense" to be overly pressed about what you're going through right now. It's not going to last! But what the Father has called us to in His Son is going to last for Eternity (2Corinthians 4). So don't be discouraged, don't be disappointed and don't be disgusted; All Things are working together for your Good.

The Signigicance of Spiritual Nutrition

As the Lord leads me to address my diet (again), I ran across some information that I thought was extremely spiritually applicable. In the digestive system there are receptors that signal the brain to tell it when to feel hungry and when to be satisfied. When one consumes highly concentrated nutrients, the body's hunger centers are easily satisfied, resulting in fewer cravings and less hunger. This is the reason why you can eat a lot of refined "empty nutrition" bread or other carbs because carbohydrates do not trigger the brain hunger centers as readily. Therefore, when the body is getting all the nutrition it needs, the cravings go away. Cravings only occur when you are missing certain nutrients. 

Just as it is in the natural with our bodies, I believe the same principle applies in the Spirit. When our spirits are not receiving "sufficient nutrition" we start to crave things that are outside of the Will of God. Things that aren't healthy, things that we know are not good for us. And sometimes, even if we don't indulge or engage in certain activities, in our heart and soul, we still long for it, we still crave it; we're just not in a position to satisfy it. All of this grows out of spiritual malnutrition. There's something in our soul and in our spirit that we're not getting that's leaving us vulnerable to these "longings of the soul" and these "cravings of the spirit". For this reason we want to address "The Significance of Spiritual Nutrition".

In addressing this issue, we need to first recognize the difference and distinction between the soul and the spirit. A lot of times, even in the church, people tend to think that these two invisible entities of the human composition are synonymous and interchangeable. That is incorrect. The scripture lets us know that this is not the truth (Hebrews 4). The soul consists of one's Will, Emotions and Intellect (or Mind). The spirit consists of one's Values, Beliefs and Convictions (the summation of one's faith). The reason it's important to distinguish between the two is because you could be feeding one in the name of nourishing the other and wonder why your soul is famished and your spirit is languishing.

In order to address your soul, you've got to address your feelings and emotions and what sponsors them from your past. There are plenty of people that are "spiritual" (genuinely so) but, as my counselor told me years ago, lack what is called "emotional intelligence". Don't try to use your faith in God and your walk with Christ to compensate for your emotional deficits. You'll suffer from malnutrition of the soul no matter how hard you pray and fast. Get in touch with your feelings and let God lead you accordingly.

In terms of Spiritual Nutrition, if you want your spirit to be strong and healthy, you've got to read the Word of God daily, you have to have a Prayer Life (not just pray occasionally, particularly just when you have a problem) you have to be a Worshiper, and you have to develop a lifestyle of fasting. If you're lacking in any one of these areas, I can almost guarantee you, you're walking around spiritually malnutritioned. Thinking thoughts you shouldn't be thinking. Going places you shouldn't be going. Saying things you shouldn't be saying. Watching things you shouldn't be watching. And listening to things you shouldn't be listening to. Now mind you, everybody does all of these things at some point or another. But that's just like somebody eating a piece of chocolate cake once every six months and somebody who eats six pieces of chocolate cake a week (been there, done that). So you get the point. Bottom line, are there things in your spirit for which you're either engaging or longing that you know are not of God? If there are, I would strongly encourage you to examine those areas in your life that reveal The Significance of Spiritual Nutrition.

The Spirit of Non-Violence

We express our deepest condolences to those families who lost loved ones during the shooting spree that took place in Orlando, Florida on June 12, 2016. As a result of this national tragedy, we've heard a lot of comments on keeping Muslims from entering the country, the continued mission to fight the terrorist group ISIS, and the effort to establish federal legislation regarding gun-control. While all of these issues are pertinent regarding the state and welfare of our nation, my disappointment is that there's not a prophetic voice that will rise amongst the clamoring of the media and state a position that is spiritual and, I believe, of God. The spirit behind the Civil Rights Movement and the leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was The Spirit of Non-Violence. Nobody is talking about the spirit behind all of these shootings, whether it's terrorist attacks, drive-byes, police brutality or domestic abuse. The issue is not strictly around the possession of guns or one's religious-ideological orientation; the issue is the demonic spirit that's being unleashed in our country that unabashedly and unashamedly is killing innocent lives! It's time that the church speak up and makes a clarion call to this nation for The Spirit of Non-Violence.

The thrust behind Dr. King's advocacy of The Spirit of Non-Violence in the quest and fight for Civil Rights for African-Americans in America was that you don't have to have violence and brutality in the name of fighting for justice. For Dr. King, Non-Violence wasn't simply a "strategic solution" for social change, it was a way of life. This is what needs to be promoted in America. We don't need to be getting "more guns" in people's hands. Nor do we need to be "overly pre-occupied" with getting guns out of people's hands (at least not the wrong people's hands). We need to be focused on the spirit that's driving people with these guns, whether they're alleged terrorists or not. There are more than a few people that aren't on the "no-fly list" that are still murdering innocent people (i.e the Uber driver in Kalamazoo, Michigan).

We as the people of God need to promote a message that says we need to Stop the Violence by embracing The Spirit of Non-Violence. This message isn't just for "the police". This message isn't just for proponents of "radical Islam". This message isn't just for gang members and thieves. This message needs to be circulated throughout the United States of America. Why? Because it's a spirit. The Bible is clear, we wrestle not against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6). Regardless of who's doing the killing: ISIS supporters, unethical  police officers, frustrated, mentally imbalanced citizens; we're dealing with a spirit that is terrorizing our nation. And it doesn't always have to be a "mass killing" or a "white on black" shooting. Violence is Violence, which eventually leads to shootings and death.

May we all pick up the mantle of The Spirit of Non-Violence. Instead of yelling at people, why not relate to them gently and calmly. That's Non-Violence. Instead of holding grudges and carrying around resentment and bitterness in your heart, learn to love and forgive those who have mistreated you and done you wrong. That's Non-Violence. Instead of having a "tit-for-tat" attitude, and feel like you have to get people back and even the score, let the grievance go. Let them have "the upper hand". That's Non-Violence. The aggression, the defensiveness, the retaliation, the abuse; we, even as Christians-even in our churches, need to stop this. In the Name of Jesus, we need to be witnesses to and a proponent for The Spirit of Non-Violence.

Preservation of Paradise

When God first created the world and humanity, He made it in a state of Paradise. The earth was perfect, and so was all of God's creation. The man (and woman) that God created were made in a state of Innocence, and were formed and fashioned just as God had ordained (Genesis 2). So how did everything get messed up? One word, Disobedience. Of course we can say sin as well, but sin is separation from God, not just disobedience to the Divine Will of God. And what sponsored and facilitated humanity's separation from God and the loss of Paradise was Adam's Disobedience. This is significant because the Move that God is getting ready to release on the earth is going to be Paradise in nature. The manifestation of the Supernatural, the Miracles, Signs and Wonders that are going to be performed, the Heavenly Atmosphere that's going to saturate the people of God; it's literally going to be "Heaven on Earth". But the challenge for us as the people of God is going to be the understanding, knowledge and discipline of how to exercise the Preservation of Paradise.

I want to state again that the key issue to the loss of Paradise on the earth was man's Disobedience to God. If we want the Preservation of Paradise, if we want the maintenance of the Kingdom of God, if we want to not just see but sustain a Divine Movement of God in the earth, then it is imperative that we learn not to succumb to this Spirit of Disobedience. Disobedience to God grows out of a lack of faithfulness, loyalty, fear and subjection to the Almighty. This not only happened in the earth realm with Adam but also in the Heavenly Realm with Lucifer (Luke 10). Therefore, we really want to be on guard in the task of the Preservation of Paradise.

When it comes to Disobedience to God, there are two factors that we want to examine: a lack of dependency on God and a lack of understanding of who we are in God. Whenever man starts to think that he can function sufficiently apart from His Maker, Disobedience is just around the corner. There's something about the nature of man that tends to think, at times, that he doesn't need God. I don't understand the fallacy of this thinking, but it happens to all of us (except for Jesus). This is a spirit that we have to fight. It is imperative that we stay hidden in Christ and learn how to continually abide in Him (Colossians 3, John 15). If we don't, we'll get to a point where we'll take matters "in our own hands", go against God's Divine Will for our lives, and before you know it, find ourselves operating in Disobedience. We must avoid this if we want the Preservation of Paradise.

Lastly, one of the major reasons that people, including many Christians, will not submit to the Divine Will of God is because we don't know who God has really made us to be. Clergy don't like to admit this because it sounds kind of "anti-spiritual", but the reality is that God made man to be god. Not God Almighty-Jehovah, but god (little g-o-d) of this earth. Jesus tells the Pharisees, quoting Psalm 82, that we are gods (John 10). What would you rather be, a human being or a god? If your visceral answer is a human being then you don't know who God created you to be. The Father says that we are made in His Image and after His Likeness (Genesis 1). We are called human beings, but we were "made" to be gods-the representatives of God on the earth, as He is God in Heaven. But the only way you can achieve this Divinely Ordained "god status" is through complete and implicit Obedience to God-Jehovah. This was the secret that Jesus lived out and the principle we must discover and embrace if we want the Preservation of Paradise.

Beware of the Esau Spirit

There's a narrative in the Bible that talks about the birth of twin brothers, Esau and Jacob. Esau was the elder brother and Jacob was the younger brother, even though they were born at the same time. The scripture records that God loved Jacob, but hated Esau (Romans 9). It's rare that we think of God "hating" anybody, but we have to understand what the twins represent. Esau and Jacob represent two distinct spirits, one that God loves, the other God hates. For the sake of this discussion, we will deal primarily with the Esau spirit, and let me say on the front end, Beware of the Esau Spirit.

The first thing we want to look at in regards to the Esau Spirit was his "preference for affection". The scripture says that Esau grieved his parents by the wives that he married (Genesis 26). What was the big deal? They were Canaanite women, women who were not a part of the Covenant People of God. The practice was for the Hebrews to marry "within their kindred". Abraham was adamant about finding his son Isaac a wife amongst his own people (Genesis 24). The Divine concern is that if the Hebrew men married the heathen women, they might lead them to worship their pagan gods (Deuteronomy 7). We need to watch who we develop associations and intimate relationships with. Not everybody who's available is necessarily God's choice for us. But sometimes, when you get lonely and you're tired of "being alone", you find yourself "settling" for whoever might be interested. This is not the Will of God. This is the Esau Spirit. This is a spirit of compromise and neglect of the Divine Standard that God had established for His Covenant People. Maintain the Standard and Values that God has ordained for your personal relationships. Don't succumb to the Esau Spirit. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God (Ephesians 4).

Then we see that the Esau Spirit is a "sell-out" spirit. Esau sold his birthright for one morsel of meat (Hebrews 12). The key to this story is found in Genesis 25 in what Esau sold-out for. Esau sold out for Provision. He was hungry and wanted something to eat, so he devalued what God had ordained for him and, once again, settled for what was going to give him immediate gratification. Saints, I am convinced that we have more than a few "spiritual sell-outs" in the Body of Christ. Genuinely anointed men and women of God whom the Devil seduces with the enticement of natural provision, and they fall for the bait. I say again, don't succumb to the Esau Spirit. The Bible clearly says that the Lord will supply ALL of our needs according to His Riches in Glory (Philippians 4). We must learn to wait on God. Don't be anxious for material possessions and financial support at the expense of your Divine Calling and Inheritance. I can assure you, it is not worth it. Ask Esau, who when he finally saw his mistake, wanted to reverse it; but it was too late (Hebrews 12). I say again saints, Beware of the Esau Spirit.

Don't Lose Heart

One of the most disappointing, and in some cases frustrating, things that a person can be involved in is a situation where there is no heart. If you're familiar with sports, you may hear people talk about an individual and say, "they have skill, they have talent, but they have no heart". Meaning, they don't have the internal drive or will to win. You may have witnessed marriages where the couple, in some cases after being married for decades, acknowledges that they no longer have a heart for the relationship. They still "love" their spouse (whatever that means) but they no longer have a heart for the marriage. Meaning, they are no longer into their husband or wife, and are now ready to bail-out on their marital commitment. Some of us may know individuals that have jobs for which they no longer have a heart for. They go to work everyday and "do their job", but their heart is no longer in the work that they do.

These are just a few examples of what happens when people Lose Heart for the various things for which they are involved. But something is wrong when we begin to Lose Heart for God. You would like to think that this is impossible, but oh contraire. There have been more than a few believers, ministers and preachers included, that, in their walking with the Lord, have found themselves no longer having a Heart for God. They may have a heart for the ministry, they may have a heart for the things of the church, they may have a heart for the people of God; but they don't have a Heart for God. For this reason I would encourage all of us, Don't Lose Heart.

Life has a way of sapping your strength. You go through enough hard times and you just want to "give up". I'm not talking about suicide, I'm talking about not putting in the necessary effort and investment for which the particular endeavor requires. When we get to this juncture and we give up, this is when we have Lost Heart. When we allow the challenges and trials of life to weaken our faith, diminish our praise, decrease our worship and suspend our service; these are all the results of Losing Heart for God. A lot of times we don't like to associate our lack of interest in the things of God for a loss of heart "for" God. But the Bible clearly says that out of the heart come the issues of life (Proverbs 4). When you start to become slack in your devotion and faithfulness to the things of God, you've just started to Lose Heart for God.

The key to not Losing Heart for God is Hope. In the words of The Rev. Jesse Jackson, we've got to Keep Hope Alive. The scripture says in Galatians chapter 6, for us not to be weary in well doing, but in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. What are you expecting from God in your "due season"? What Promises has God made to you that you know, if you just hang in there, will be yours to claim, at His Appointed Time? There's a hope deficit in the Body of Christ, and it's causing many of the saints to give up prematurely and miss the Blessing that God has prepared and ordained for them. The scripture says about Jesus, "who for the joy that was set before Him endured the Cross" (Hebrews 12). Jesus didn't lose heart for the Will of God in the Garden of Gethsemane because of the Hope of Joy that was set before Him. Identify and embrace the Hope and the Joy that the Father has set before you as you go through your trial; and Don't Lose Heart.

Be Ready

The Time is Short saints. I truly believe that this Summer Season represents the Period of Preparation for some of the major shifts that the Father is getting ready to release into the earth. The prophetic word has already gone forth that "He is MOVING". The Lord is not standing still, He is MOVING; swiftly, steadily and decisively. God is Moving. As His children and as His servants, it is our job to keep up with Him. Therefore, it is imperative that we Be Ready.

When the Shift that God has ordained begins to manifest definitively, it will not be a time at that point to "get ready". No saints, now is the Time of Preparation. Now is the time to be "getting ready" so that, when the Appointed Time of the Father is released, we as the people of God will Be Ready. This is the mindset that we must adopt right now. Every move needs to be strategic. Every decision needs to be bathed in prayer. Every relationship and association needs to be anointed and regulated by the Spirit of God. This is an extremely critical time. It's time out for "playing with God". The days are over for being lackluster in your commitment towards the Lord. Some things are about to shift in our country and in our world. And when they do, we have to Be Ready.

One of the ways to Be Ready for the Movement of God and the shifts that are underway, is to not get distracted. Satan majors in getting the people of God off focus. Now is not the time to be "preoccupied". Now, going into the summer, is the time to get more focused than ever before. Don't get distracted with all of the news events. The terrorist attacks, the economic reports, the political race, the Olympics: don't let these things consume you. Stay focused on the Lord. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness (Matthew 6). Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth (Colossians 3). Don't get tied up in the triviality of certain relationships. Keep your heart and mind clear. Stay focused on the Lord.

Another way to Be Ready is to continue to develop our Intimacy with the Lord. One of the sad testimonies of many Christians in the mainstream church is that we do not have an "intimate relationship" with the Lord. Yes, many of us are saved and have made a personal confession of faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, but are we really intimate with Him. Many of us know married couples that yes, they are married, they are husband and wife. But is their marriage really intimate? Are they truly close? You don't need to be simply a "Sunday morning church-goer". You don't need to just be a preacher who "works in ministry". Your heart, your soul, your mind, your dreams, your goals, your affection; all needs to belong to Christ (Colossians 3). This is the only way that you're going to Be Ready. We're at a place now saints where we literally have to give it All to Jesus. Not a portion, not a good effort, EVERYTHING. This is what He requires, and this is what He deserves. He Is God! If we can learn to yield total submission and subjection to the Lordship of Christ, seek His Face and truly love Him with everything we've got, then when the rains come and the winds blow, we will Be Ready.

Good or Whole

There's a mistake that many Christians continue to make, and that is that we are still trying to be Good. Believe it or not, it is not the Will of God that we try to be Good. I know that sounds "un-Christian", but it's the truth and it is biblical. The scripture says that God commanded Adam and Eve not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 2). Jesus told the rich, young ruler, when he called Jesus good, that none is Good but God (Luke 18). Therefore, if your aspiration as a believer in Christ is to be Good, then your spiritual focus may be off. The goal as a believer in Christ is not to be good but to be Whole.

The Bible makes it clear that all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God (Romans 3). The scripture also lets us know that we were born in sin and shapen in iniquity (Psalm 51). What this means is that at the core, we're no good. All of us have a sinful nature that inclines us to go against God's Divine Will for our lives (Romans 7). No matter how "good" you try to be, there's always going to be something in you to make you do wrong, even when you want to do what's right (Romans 7). That's why the objective of the believer should not be to be good. Jesus died not for us to be good but that we may be justified and made acceptable in the sight of God by His Blood (Romans 5, Ephesians 1). Therefore, our goal as believers in Christ should not be to be good.

Also remember that everything that's good is not necessarily of God. One of the things that's going to be revealed in the near future is that you have a lot of people, even in the church, that do a lot of good things; but the good things that they do have nothing to do with God. Therefore, a lot of times, the good we do is not of God. A good example of this was King Saul. God gave him a specific order: "go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not" (1Samuel 15). But what did Saul do? He spared the best of the sheep, oxen and lambs in the name of "making a sacrifice to God". That sounds like a good thing, doesn't it? The only problem is that, that's not what God told him to do. So even though it might've been good, it wasn't of God. That's why the scripture says to obey is better than sacrifice (1Samuel 15).

The goal is not to be good, but to be Whole. God wants us to be Whole (Holy) in our body, soul and spirit (1Thessalonians 5). I can guarantee you that any "sin issue" that you're dealing with in your life is related to a lack of wholeness in either your body, your soul or your spirit; guarantee it. Some of the sins we commit are because of physical restlessness and anxiety. Some of the sins we commit grow out of emotional insecurity and low self-esteem. And then other sins we commit grow out of a lack of spiritual discipline and a lack of faith in not building up sufficiently our spirit man. Instead of trying to be "good enough", I would suggest we examine our Wholeness or the lack thereof, that we may grow in the Grace and Knowledge of Christ and be all that He has called us to be.

The Glorious Church

There is a standard that God has established for His church that every born again believer needs to adhere to and embrace. God has not called us to be a religious church, He has not called us to be a traditional church, He hasn't even called us to simply be a spiritual church; but He has called us to be a Glorious Church (Ephesians 5). This is the type of church that Jesus is returning for. The Bride of Christ, the church, will be Glorious at His Return. This is what we need to aim for as believers and as the children of God.

The Bible says in the 5th chapter of Ephesians, "husbands love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it...that He might present it to Himself a Glorious Church". What is a Glorious Church? A Glorious Church is a church that is enveloped, immersed in and regulated by The Glory of God. The Glory of God is the Manifest Presence of God. That's why I said earlier, God is not looking for simply a spiritual church, nor is He simply looking for an anointed church; He's looking for a church that is defined and identified by His Glory. The mainstream church has not accessed this realm in the Spirit, but this is the Will of God for His Body, and if we want to be a part of the next Move of God, the Kingdom Movement, we had better learn how to be Glorious.

The first thing the scripture says about The Glorious Church is that Jesus gave Himself for the church that He might "sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word" (Ephesians 5). Therefore, The Glorious Church is a Sanctified Church. The church that God is calling us to be has to be Sanctified, which means to be set apart, unto Him. We still have too many Christians, preachers and ministers included, that are still too much a part of the world. When I speak of the world I'm talking about "the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life" (1John 2). You can't operate in the Glory of God and still engage and indulge in these worldly, carnal areas. Yes, you can be Saved (by the Blood of Jesus Christ) but you won't be Glorious. For this reason we must get into the Word of God (the Bible), let the Holy Spirit wash us and cleanse us and renew our minds, and allow Him to elevate us and transport us into the Glory Realm.

The next thing the scripture says about The Glorious Church is that she is Holy. Ephesians 5 says, "a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle...but that it should be Holy and without blemish". If we're going to be a Glorious Church we must also be a Holy Church. Holiness is not synonymous with self-righteousness. Just because you're moral doesn't mean you're Holy. Holiness talks about completeness of being in your Body, Soul and Spirit (1Thessalonians 5). If you're not taking care of your body, if you're not taking care of your mind, if you're not guarding and nurturing your spirit, it probably suggests that you are not Holy, or at the least, that you are not walking in Holiness. God tells us explicitly to be holy because He is Holy (1Peter 1). Holiness is a prerequisite for a Glorious Church.

Once we move into this Glorious Realm, we're going to see Supernatural Demonstrations like we've never witnessed before. All that God has yet to reveal to humanity was not necessarily demonstrated in the scriptures. 66 books cannot contain the Eternal Glory of the Father. And I just believe that God has chosen to save His Best for Last. We are blessed saints, to be living in the end times before the official Return of our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ. Let us make sure that when He appears, He'll receive in us A Glorious Church.

The Essence of Faith

Have you ever thought about living in an imaginary world? Maybe when you were a kid, you would make up this "fantasy world" where reality was what you dictated? I believe that there are more than a few adults who, every now and then, sit back and think about how things "could be" and "should be" and what if they could do this and what if they could do that. This, my brothers and sisters, is actually the supreme gift that God has given to us as human individuals: the gift of Imagination. And with this gift of imagination we also discover The Essence of Faith.

The Essence of Faith talks about the reality you have chosen to adopt, embrace and believe in. Remember, everybody has faith; it's just that not everybody has faith in God. And based upon the faith and the subsequent reality one chooses to adopt in accordance with that faith, is the basis of one's reality. This is significant because people claim that they have faith in God, but on many levels, I would beg to differ, because the Word of God is not the basis of their reality. If it were, we'd be more obedient to the Will and Word of God, and we'd see the corresponding signs and fruit that accompany the living out of that faith. But the reason so many Christians are "faithless" when it comes to God is because we have not exercised our Imagination in regards to the reality of God.

The Reality of God is not about the Law. This is where a lot of professing Christians and prospective believers get turned off in regards to the "brand" of Christianity that the mainstream church is promoting. Many people "mistakenly" think that being a Christian and having faith in God is about "living right" and being holy (in the religious sense) and trying not to do anything wrong. This does not register with the "imagination" of man. But what if there was a "different reality" that Christianity had to offer individuals once they accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. What if the Reality of Christianity was one where once you got saved you didn't have to be sick? What if the Reality of Christianity was one where you would be financially prosperous and productive? What if the Reality of Christianity was one where no matter how stressful your situation or circumstances are, you still have peace of mind? What if the Reality of Christianity was one where you could Time-Travel? What if the Reality of Christianity was one where you could be in two places at the same time? Are you getting my point? The things that I've mentioned, which are all true pertaining to the belief system that we call Christianity, number one-are not generally promoted by the mainstream church, and number two-require one's imagination to truly embrace and believe. But once again, this is the Essence of Faith; and without this type of faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11).

The Blessing Zone

Just because a person is Saved doesn't mean that they're automatically Blessed. Of course it's a Blessing to be saved, to know Jesus Christ in the pardon of your sins. But how many of us know individuals that definitely know Jesus Christ in the pardon of their sins, but the other areas of their life would not be described as "blessed". Their health is bad, they're struggling financially, they have no peace of mind, their family life is deteriorating, there's no success in their job or line of work. All of these are areas for which, when you're operating in the Blessing of God, you experience the Favor of God in the aforementioned areas. The point is that if we want to live Happy, Fulfilled and Successful lives, we're going to have to do more than just confess Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior, we're going to have to learn to get into The Blessing Zone.

The Blessing Zone is an area in Christ and in God where God Divinely Favors certain areas of your life. Let me reiterate, it's a Blessing to be Saved, because you've received the Gift of Eternal Life. But God wants to Manifest His Blessing in the material and physical areas of our lives as well. This was the point of the Prosperity Gospel, to show that God didn't want to just bless us in our soul and spirit, but also in our health and finances (3John). Unfortunately, it digressed into a sort of "Christian Materialism" which I do not believe was the Will of God. However, Christians need to understand that it is the Will of God for us to prosper in every area of our life. But in order to receive this, we must learn to operate in the Blessing Zone.

Galatians chapter 3 let's us know that Jesus died on the Cross so that the Blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles. People always wonder why the Jews "collectively" seem to always prosper financially. It's because, in large part, they know how to work the Blessing Covenant that they received through their father Abraham. The catch is, as Christians, we too are now the Seed of Abraham, through Jesus Christ; so we too should be prospering at the same level, if not greater, than the Jews; if we learn how to get into The Blessing Zone.

Jesus lays it out in terms of how to get into The Blessing Zone in the 5th chapter of the Gospel of Saint Matthew. If we would listen to what The King is saying, we surely will be Blessed. The first thing Jesus says is "Blessed are the poor in spirit". If you want to operate in the Blessing Zone, you have to learn Humility. How many Christians and church people do you know that are not humble? This is a problem. A lack of Humility will keep you out of the Blessing Zone. Pride is offensive to God (James 4). Learn how to be Humble, and you will be Blessed.

The next thing the scripture says is, "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation". If we want to live in the Blessing Zone, we have to learn how to be Obedient to God. Yes, the God we serve is a God of Grace and a God of Mercy (John 1), but He is also a God of Obedience (1Samuel 15). There are too many believers in Christ that are dead set on doing things "their way". They refuse to submit to the Will and the Word of the Lord. You cannot be Blessed when you refuse to Obey and yield to the Lord.

Lastly, the scripture says, "Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven...Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin" (Romans 4). The blessing here is the Confidence of Faith. Yes, when you confess Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, your sins are forgiven (Ephesians 1). But do you believe that? There are many Christians that confess that but don't actually "believe" it. That's why we still have a lot of self-righteousness and religious hypocrisy in the church. If people really understood what it means to be Saved by Grace (Ephesians 2), the last thing we'd be doing is "pointing the finger". Let's learn to love and accept others as Jesus has loved and accepted us. Let's learn to live in The Blessing Zone.

Contract or Covenant

The issue of Marriage in America is still a major issue that this country is going to have to confront and resolve in the days ahead. I am sad to say that some of the confusion regarding the issue of marriage has been contributed to by the delinquency of the church regarding this matter. In many cases, the church is as "clueless" if you will, about the sanctity and sacredness of marriage as the world. A lot of this has to do with our failure as believers in Christ to distinguish between marriage as a Contract or Covenant.

Most people, including the church, view marriage more as a Civil Contract rather than a Sacred Covenant. This is where a major part of the problem is. The issue plaguing our nation isn't simply is it "okay" for people of the same sex to get married. The deeper issue is what is the definition of marriage? If marriage is properly defined, the question of whether or not the homosexual community should participate in marriage takes care of itself. For this reason we need to make the definitional distinction between Marriage as a Contract and Marriage as a Covenant.

Marriage as a Contract can be defined as a bilateral agreement that is voluntarily formed, maintained and dissolved by two individuals. The basis of the Contractual perspective of marriage is rooted in Civil Law. According to this view, the state is charged with overseeing the institution of marriage and has authority to grant both marriage licenses and certificates of divorce. This is where our society has veered off as it relates to the misunderstanding of marriage, for which the church, unknowingly, has said amen. Marriage is not an institution that is derived by the Government. Marriage is an institution that is Ordained by God. However, if your prevailing viewpoint is that of Marriage as a Contractual, Civil Agreement, then yes, it would stand to reason that the question would be raised, why can't homosexuals get married? But what must first be established is that Marriage, according to the Will and Word of God, is not an institution for which the state has primary oversight and authority. This is why President Obama, when he was yet a U.S. Senator, was on the right track when he talked about "civil unions" for those who wanted some type of contractual agreement that could be recognized by the states, that would give individuals who participated in homosexual partnerships certain rights given the tenure of their relationship. This would've maintained the distinction between homosexual unions and the Sanctity of Marriage. Unfortunately, our President didn't maintain this particular perspective.

Marriage as a Covenant can be defined as a sacred bond between a man and a woman instituted by and publicly entered into before God. The key to the Covenant perspective is that marriage isn't just an agreement between two consenting parties, it's an agreement in Covenant with God. This is what's missing in at least, say, 50% of our marriages today (the current divorce rate), the God Factor. Once you factor God into the Covenantal Marriage agreement, then the question is raised, does God condone the marriage of homosexual partners? The answer unequivocally is No! Therefore, homosexual partnerships shouldn't be allowed to participate in the Covenant of Marriage. That's why what America has done regarding the marriage question is so dangerous, because we've infringed and trespassed on the Sacred and Holy territory of God. Marriage is of God, not of man. And now that we (as a nation) have legalized the perversion of this sacred institution, we will have to answer to Him from whom marriage was ordained and derived. I believe this is a judgment that we could have avoided, if we had simply identified the difference between marriage as a Contract or Covenant.

Practical Atheism

Atheism is basically the belief that there is no God. People who subscribe to the intellectual perspective of atheism usually suggest that there is no "empirical evidence" to suggest the existence of a Supreme Deity. This of course is non-sense; but this thought process is described as "theoretical" atheism. Then you have what can be described as "practical" atheism. This is the category of atheism for which, believe it or not, many church-goers and professing Christians fall into. A practical atheist is not an individual who outright denies the existence of God or the presence of a Supreme Being or Higher Power. A practical atheist is an individual who verbally and mentally consents to the existence of God, but with their heart and lifestyle deny the fact that they actually believe in God. The bible says, "the fool hath said in his heart, there is no God" (Psalm 14). It's not what a person says with their mouth or in their mind, it's what they say in their heart; for out of the heart come the issues of life (Proverbs 4).

This is a pressing issue for the church because our witness is at stake. People don't really believe in the church, and as a result don't believe in the God of the church. Society gives mental and cultural assent to the existence of Jesus Christ, but will not acknowledge, let alone worship Him as God. This, my brothers and sisters, is Atheism. This is the issue also concerning Islam, because the belief of Islam outright refutes the Deity of Jesus Christ and the fact that He is the Son of God. This is why it has to be established in the Body of Christ that Jehovah and Allah are not the same God. Christians and Muslims do not worship the same God! To intermingle these faiths is practical atheism.

The church has to revitalize our faith and return to a true Belief in God. Not a belief in religion. Not a belief in denominations. Not a belief in theology. Not a belief in doctrine. A Belief in God. One of the things that will facilitate a renewed belief in God is to re-establish the belief that the Bible is the unadulterated Word of God. Sometimes academia and scholarship can mess up your faith. Too many seminaries have been successful in "watering down" the Word based upon exegetical analysis and scriptural hermeneutics. Regardless of what the scholars say and the findings of the original languages, The Bible is the Word of God. Which means if the Bible says it, according to my faith, that settles it! Now, you do have to put scripture in context, and revelation must come from the Holy Spirit (2Timothy 3). But we can't continue to "pick and choose" what we're going to believe and not believe according to God's Word. If we're going to believe in God, we must believe in His Word.

Lastly saints, if we're going to believe in God as opposed to being proponents of Practical Atheism, we have to believe in a Supernatural God. The mainstream church has so diminished the Supernatural Dimension of Jesus that we don't even expect Miracles anymore. The raising of the dead, the healing of the sick, the manifestation of creative miracles, is more of an aberration as opposed to the Expectation of the church. When we as Christians refuse to believe in a Miracle Working God, we're exercising Practical Atheism. May we say like the man whose son Jesus healed, "Help mine Unbelief" (Mark 9).

Learning to Love Jesus

Most of us as Christians would readily confess that if there's one Person in this world and beyond that we love, it is the Person of Jesus. We have so many beautiful songs like the hymn "Oh, How I Love Jesus", and  many other songs that express our love for the Savior. However, on a practical level, I'm not sure if our demonstration necessarily matches our proclamation. We may be guilty of what the word says in describing the alleged people of God, "this people...honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me" (Matthew 15). We say that we love Jesus, but do we really love Him with our hearts as well as with our words? I ask this question because in the days ahead, what's going to be tested more than anything else is our love for Jesus. Not our faith, not our commitment, not our devotion, not our steadfastness; but our love for the Lord is what will be challenged to pass the test. And rather than "assuming" we love the Lord, we might do well to make the commitment of Learning to Love Jesus.

Remember, Christianity is not a religion, It's a Relationship. Every relationship has to grow, including our relationship with the Lord. Therefore, in developing an Intimate Relationship (whether in the natural or the spiritual) one must take the time to learn the person they're in relationship with so that they can love them effectively as well as appropriately. How you "express" love to one person may not be the correct approach in reaching another person in the name of love. And believe it or not, the same is the case with Jesus. He is a Person, and if you're going to love Him, you have to love Him in a way that's going to register with Him, not simply satisfy ourselves.

The first thing we must do in Learning to Love Jesus is be Obedient. You can't love the Lord if you're not willing to be obedient to His Commands. Jesus said in the 14th chapter of the Gospel of Saint John, "if ye love Me, keep my Commandments". Jesus knows we're going to struggle and sin. This is what He shed His Blood for, to forgive us for our sinfulness. But the issue with many of us as Christians is not sinfulness but maturity. When you're "growing" in a relationship, something is suspicious when you continue to offend the person you claim you love for the next 10 years. This isn't weakness, this is lack of attentiveness and commitment to the growth and development of the relationship. That's why the prophetic word of the Lord is to turn and seek Him. Repentance and seeking the Lord is what facilitates spiritual growth and thereby gives us the capacity to change and be obedient to our Lord's Divine Will for our lives.

The next thing we have to do in Learning to Love Jesus is we have to learn to Rest in Him. Jesus said, "come unto Me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you Rest" (Matthew 11). If you're in a covenant relationship of marriage or a serious courtship, you expect your partner to confide in you, to trust in you, to share with you their challenges and struggles, as well as their victories and triumphs. Therefore, something's wrong when your spouse or fiance has another "go-to person" that they confide in over and above you. This includes parents. The bible says, for the sake of marriage, that the man (and I believe this applies to the wife as well) must leave their father and mother and cleave to their wife (Matthew 19). This is what Jesus wants. As the Bride of Christ, He wants His church to trust in Him, to lean on Him, to confide in Him. Not lean on the flesh! Not trust in carnal and selfish devices. This offends our Lord. We must learn to Rest in Him to show our Love and Confidence in Him.

Lastly saints, in Learning to Love Jesus, we must learn to Sacrifice for Him. The Mystery of Christianity is that Jesus wants to live His Life through us (2Corinthians 4). Yes He wants to use us to work for Him, but ideally and primarily He wants to work "through us". He wants to live His Divine Supernatural Life in and through our mortal bodies (2Corinthians 4). But many of us don't love Jesus enough to die to our life that He can live His through us. This is the commitment and dedication that will change the world. But the church will only adopt this witness as we truly Learn to Love Jesus.

Heavenly Citizenship

We are preparing to enter a Season where, as a Christian, in order to survive-particularly spiritually, it will be imperative to operate in and to claim your Heavenly Citizenship. One of the things that I don't think has been communicated sufficiently enough in the church is the fact that we truly are not of this world (John 17). Yes we say that in terms of not being "worldly", but I don't think we say it enough in terms of identifying with the fact that we are "otherworldly". That we come from a different World. The world that we as born-again believers come from is Heaven. And in order to have a true and authentic Kingdom Witness, we have to reclaim our Heavenly Citizenship.

The scripture says that our Citizenship is in Heaven (Philippians 3). This means that as Christians we are aliens, literally. This is why Peter describes us as pilgrims and strangers (1Peter 2). We've so "religionized" these terms that they no longer carry the impact that they're supposed to as it relates to our faith. We must understand, we are not from this planet. Once we accepted Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, we became foreigners from another Dimension. This is why we say things like "earth is not our home". Not just because we're going to die one day; everybody's going to do that. But because the Origin of our being is not based in the earth realm. It's rooted in the Heavenly Realm.

When this understanding is grasped, then we're no longer looking to "fit in" here on earth. We embrace the fact that we're going to be "peculiar" and that we're going to be the "weirdos", culturally speaking. This is ok, and we need to accept it. Until we do, we'll never totally sell out to the Kingdom. We'll be devoted and we'll be committed, but we won't be sold out. Why? Because there'll be something in us that still thinks we're supposed to register in the earth realm. Wrong. This earth is not our home, atleast not the way it's structured now. This is why the scripture says we have to be transformed by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12). Now that the Holy Spirit has taken up residence in our beings, all we have to do now is learn how to think from whence we've come, which is Heaven. Even though we were born in sin and conditioned accordingly, now we've been "born again". Born again from the Heavenly Realm, which is a totally Different Dimension.

Lastly saints, the reason it's important that we regain the operation and applicability of our Heavenly Citizenship is because it's this Citizenship that we've been charged to transfer and establish throughout the entire earth (Matthew 28). You're going to be hard-pressed to convert somebody to another country if you've totally embraced the one you're trying to pull them from. The world has not yet been attracted to the Kingdom of God (not church) because there aren't enough believers who reflect the fruit and the blessings of operating in the Heavenly Realm versus the natural and the carnal. The world knows intuitively that the life we as human beings are living is inferior. There's something in the spirit of man that knows he's supposed to be happy, knows he's supposed to be content, knows he's supposed to be fulfilled; but he just doesn't know what the Answer is. Jesus is the Answer! But not a religionized, denominationalized Jesus that's been watered down by a traditionalized church. But a Resurrected Jesus who rules the Universe in Power and has granted to His children the Joy, the Peace, the Love and the Glory of Heavenly Citizenship.

The Name vs The Person

If you've been in the church for any length of time, then you probably have the understanding that most of the prayers that we pray, we end them officially "in Jesus' Name". This of course is appropriate. There's no other Name under Heaven by which men may be saved (Acts 4). We also know that none cometh to the Father but by Jesus (John 14). So the Name of Jesus is the basis of our Salvation. However, you may have also noticed that, at times, when we pray in the name of Jesus, submitting our supplications to the Father, that "seemingly" nothing happens. Or better yet, we don't necessarily get the Divine results that we are looking for. Why is that? I would like to submit to you today that it's not just "the name of Jesus" that is able to access Divine Power from God, it's the Person of Jesus that allows the Power of God to be Manifested. And if you don't have the Person, even with the Name, you won't witness or experience Divine Power.

This is significant, because Jesus clearly says, "if ye shall ask anything in my Name, I will do it" (John 14). However, how many times have we closed our prayer with "in the name of Jesus I pray", and for all intents and purposes, your request to the Throne was not either received or manifested? There's a slight misunderstanding in the Body of Christ, that doesn't negate what we've been taught, but rather clarifies and hopefully amplifes our understanding in terms of how to get Divine results through prayer.

The key to the name of Jesus is not just the usage of His Name, it's the Manifestation of His Person. The Name simply identifies with the Divine Person of Jesus; but if you don't have the Person for whom the Name represents, then you won't get the Divine results. Why is this important? Because even though we have a lot of born again Christians who've had a genuine salvific experience in Jesus Christ, they still don't have, what I would describe as "full access" to the Person of Jesus Christ. Let me try to explain. Remember, Christianity is a relationship, and in every relationship, including our relationship with God, the relationship has to Grow. Which means, if you're a babe in Christ, or you're still walking in the flesh or spiritual immaturity, you can say "the Name of Jesus" all day long, it doesn't mean that you have "the relationship" to access the Person of Jesus for the manifestation of the miraculous. Sometimes we just think, "well, I said the name of Jesus, isn't that enough?". But deep down, we know it's not enough. That's why we look to preachers and other men and women of God to do what we know our faith can't seem to access. But the key is not the man or the woman or the office or the title, It's The Person! What we have to do now as the Body of Christ is encourage every born again believer to develop and nurture their relationship with Jesus to the point to where, when you call His Name, He will answer. Why will He answer? Because the relationship's been developed to that point.  There are people I'm in relationship with, genuine relationships, where if they call me, I will "eventually" get back to them. But there are other people when they call, I call them back right away. You may judge this, but is a person going to respond the same way to an associate as they do their spouse? Do you see what I'm saying? Whether we're willing to admit it or not, Jesus is the same way. His response is contingent upon the quality and nurture of the Relationship. For this reason, we must begin to qualify our faith, and make sure we're not putting The Name over The Person.

Spiritual Division

The God we serve is a God of Division. I know that doesn't sound spiritual, particularly given that at the same time, the God we serve is a God of Unity (Ephesians 4). However, there comes a time when for the sake of Judgment and Divine Distinction, God creates Division and Separation. This Divine Division is for the Manifestation of who Belongs to Him and who does not, and what is Of Him and what is not. As the Season of Judgment, Divine Judgment, swiftly approaches, you want to make sure that you're on the right side of the Spiritual Division.

The first aspect of Spiritual Division that needs to be recognized is Spiritual Circumcision. God has called us as His children to circumcise our hearts (Romans 2). When we do this under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, a Spiritual Division takes place within the inner chambers of hearts and souls. Let me say on the front end that the circumcision process is a painful one because you're cutting something off that is generally dear and close to you. For this reason, more than a few believers in Christ choose to by-pass this spiritual discipline. The only problem is, there's a price to pay for that. You forfeit the Blessing of God because there's no recognizable distinction in your heart between that which is of God and that which is not. Even though the eternal status of your soul may be covered by the Blood of Jesus Christ, your heart is not conditioned for the witness of Spiritual Division. Therefore, you are judged accordingly. Remember, God is no respecter of persons (Romans 2).

Then there's the aspect of Spiritual Division in regards to relationships and association. There are some people that, if we're going to be all that God has called us to be, we can no longer associate with or be in relationship with. The first thing that Jehovah told Abraham (Abram at the time) when He called him to possess the Land of Canaan, was to separate from his father and his family (Genesis 12). This was the call to Spiritual Division. God says in 2Corinthians 6, "come out from among them and be ye separate". Spiritual Division. Even Jesus, when told that his mother and siblings wanted to see Him, His response was, "who is My mother, who are my brethren?...for whosoever shall do the will of My Father which is in Heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother" (Matthew 12). Spiritual Division.

Lastly saints, we need to be cognizant of Spiritual Division in regards to choosing what Spiritual Realm we're going to operate in. We're coming upon a day when there's going to be a marked Spiritual Distinction between the Realm of the World and the Realm of Heaven. The Realm of the Natural and the Realm of the Supernatural. Let me say very quickly that just because you're saved, just because you confess Jesus Christ as your Personal Lord and Savior, doesn't mean you qualify to operate in the Heavenly Realm. There will be a new Dimension of Reality that certain believers will be called to, that will manifest the operation and dynamics of The Kingdom of God. You will no longer, as a Christian, be able to have "one foot in the world and one foot in the church". Either you're in The Kingdom of God or you're not. Your walk and your witness will testify to which Realm you've chosen to be subject to and your submission and adherence to Spiritual Division.

Descending before Ascending

Everyone wants to Ascend to the Level for which God has ordained for them. Some people describe it as "promotion", others may describe it as "getting to the next Level". There are various ways to describe the different degrees of Grace for which God takes His people. But what a lot of the saints don't understand, that somewhat precludes our spiritual progress, is that before you move to Ascension, you must first experience Descending. In other words, you have to go Down before you can go Up in the Lord. Down is not a direction that most of the saints are willing to travel. But it is a prerequisite to get to where God has ordained us to be.

In studying the Redemptive Work of Jesus, we notice that before He Ascended back to the Father, He first had to Descend into the lower parts of hell (Ephesians 4). This is a part of Jesus' Redemptive Ministry that doesn't get mentioned frequently. We discuss Calvary and we talk about Him being dead for three days; but what happened during those three days of Jesus' Death? Part of what happened is that He went to Hell! Let me assure you saints that part of our spiritual journey consists of, metaphorically, going to and through hell before we ascend the spiritual heights of Glory for which the Father has prepared for His children.

The scripture says that any person who will live godly must suffer persecution (2Timothy 3). The scripture also says that we have been called to suffer with Christ (1Peter 2). These scriptures let us know that as the children of God, there is a level of suffering that we are called to endure in order to fulfill God's Will and Purpose for our lives. There are no easy roads to Calvary. One must first bear their Cross before they wear their Crown (Revelation 3). We must be prepared for the affliction and the trials that come with growing and maturing in Christ.

Some of the Spiritual Descending also grows out of Satanic Attack. One of the things that I'm learning is that the more you grow in Christ and the more He establishes you on the path for which He has ordained, the bigger a target you become for the Devil. There was a time when I was apt to look to get into some trouble. Now trouble comes looking for me! Things just popping up out of the blue, that you know are not of God. This is part of the Descending, because we're challenged to deal with some stuff that, under "normal" circumstances, we wouldn't even be involved with. But being a Disciple of Christ is not normal. It's Spiritual Warfare. And when dealing with the Devil, he has a way of going into some places that, to say the least, are not above board.

But the blessing of the Spiritual Descending is that it takes you into the Deep Places of God. I was in prayer several months ago with a Prophet of God, and as we were praying the Lord said to us, Deeper, Deeper, Go Deeper. This is what the Lord wants us to do. He wants us to go Deeper into Him. Deeper into His Love. Deeper into His Grace. Deeper into His Spirit. Deeper into His Worship. Deeper into His Word. In order to go Deeper in the Lord, you will have to Descend, but His Resurrection Spirit will raise us up and Ascend us into His Glory.

God Knows What He's Doing

Have you ever looked at your life and wondered what in the world is God up to? If you trust in God and are a follower of Jesus Christ, then you believe that your life and the circumstances thereof are regulated and guided by the Sovereign and Providential Hand of Almighty God. And of course, such is the case as a believer in Christ. But every now and then, situations arise and things pan out in such a way to make you ask, God is this really you? Did I hear You right? And saints, I just want to say for the record, if you're genuinely trusting in God, rest assured, God Knows What He's Doing.

It's important to get this message because we're getting ready to enter a Season where there are some things that God is going to lead us to do and some things for which The Father is going to allow, that simply are not going to look "God-Like". There are some places He's going to send us and some situations for which He's going to give Divine Permission for us to experience for which our visceral reaction is going to be, surely, this is not the Hand of God. But I want to give you the heads up now saints, when these strange and peculiar situations start to arise, and you've taken them to God in prayer, just remember, God Know What He's Doing.

One classic situation for which this is applicable is the children of Israel at the Red Sea. The scripture says that when God delivered the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage, He led them by the wilderness of the Red Sea (Exodus 13). Remember, God is Omniscient, He knows Everything. So when He made this strategic move on behalf of His people, He already knew that the Egyptians were going to come chasing after them and that based on where He had led them, that they wouldn't have a place to go (Exodus 14). Saints, there are moves that God is making in regards to your positioning that, at some point, may "look" like the "wrong move". But remember, God Knows What He's Doing.

What was the Divine Rationale for this strategic move that God made on behalf of His people that looked like it was going to sponsor and facilitate their utter destruction? It was to Magnify and Glorify His Name. Whatever situation God is allowing and sponsoring in your life is not for your destruction, It's for His Glory. This is where the Miracles come in. This is where the Supernatural Manifestations come in. But the way God generally does it is, He has to put us in a situation that doesn't make "human sense" so that He can reveal and display His Supernatural Intelligence. He Is God! So don't get discouraged. Don't be dismayed. Don't get distressed and don't despair. Just remember, God Knows What He's Doing.

Dead Faith

There's a difference between something being Dead and something being Non-Existent. When a person dies, we call their body a corpse. Why? Because essentially their body is dead. But their body is still in physical, natural existence (until it decomposes of course). But the catch is that even though the body is dead, its presence is still there. This is my concern with the Body of Christ. There are more than a few believers who have faith in God. You can't be saved unless you have faith (Ephesians 2). The scripture says that God has given every person a "measure of faith" (Romans 12). So the absence of faith in the church is not the issue. The problem is that we have a lot of regenerated believers who have faith, but it's Dead Faith. Something would be extremely suspicious if you came to my house and I had a dead body in all of the bedrooms lying in the bed like it was normal (spooky isn't it). Such is the case in many of our congregations. Dead Faith is singing the hymns, praying the prayers, preaching the sermons. It's Faith, but it's Dead Faith.

Let's make something clear on the front end: just because something is active doesn't mean that it's not dead. I've seen several dead bodies that have alot of different movements and things going on internally. It doesn't last of course, but the point is that even though the body is dead, there's still physiological activity taking place. But no one would ever say that because the body moved that the person was alive. Such is the case with many of our churches. There's a lot of activity. But Ecclesiastical Activity does not dismiss the notion that Dead Faith is taking place. So be not deceived. Just because you see churches with thousands of members and numerous programs and ministries, doesn't mean that the Faith of the Membership still isn't dead.

So then, what constitutes Dead Faith, even in the midst of constant and even consistent church activity? The Bible says that Faith without Works is Dead (James 2). The Bible also says that faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10). When a person receives the Word of God (the spoken word or written word of God) but refuses to act on that Word according to the leading of the Holy Spirit, that's Dead Faith. As I stated earlier, the indictment on the church is not a lack of faith or the absence of faith; it's the operation of Dead Faith. Let us also understand that Activity and Works of Faith are not synonymous. Many of the things we do in church do not grow out of our Faith in God. Works of Faith produce the Works of God: healing the sick, raising the dead, giving sight to the blind, casting out demons, transforming regions for the Kingdom of God. The reason we're not seeing these types of Works is because many of our churches, in spite of their activity, are still subject to Dead Faith. For Faith, without the Works of God, is Dead.

Don't Trust Your Feelings

One of the biggest threats to our faith as believers in Christ are our Feelings. We live in a very emotionally charged society. It's important for many of us to be able to "feel" what we're engaged in or what we are about. The Entertainment industry is so big because it's designed to tap into people's emotions. Movies, songs, television; all of these forms of media foster an emotional response to that for which we are viewing. How many movies have brought you to tears? How many songs have actually cheered you up and made you feel better? Our society is truly regulated by our feelings.

However, our feelings many times can be misleading. People have gotten divorced because they don't "feel" anything for their spouse anymore. People join churches and follow certain preachers because of how that particular congregation and minister make them "feel". Don't get me wrong, nothing's wrong with getting a good feeling in church. But our Feelings must never override our Faith. This is the danger that the Body of Christ is in right now because there are some things that God is leading us into and commanding us to do that are not going to register with our Feelings. As a matter of fact, some things that God is going to be calling us to do are going to be downright depressing (James 4). For this reason, we must mature to the point where we Don't Trust Our Feelings.

The Will of God is not emotionally based, it's Spiritually Oriented. We can't wait before we're "feeling it" to execute the Divine Will of God. If we do, we could actually miss certain Divine Seasons of our lives. God's not waiting for our feelings, He's waiting for our faith. Therefore, we have to be able to distinguish between our "feeling God" and our "believing God" (which is faith).

Remember, the human being is described as a Tri-Partite being, meaning we are three-in-one; Body, Soul and Spirit. Many times, people make the soul and the spirit synonymous. This is incorrect. The Soul is comprised of one's will, emotions and intellect (or the mind). The Spirit consists of one's values, beliefs and convictions. When it comes to the Will of God for your life, you have to discern, "am I convicted that this is the Will of God"? How do you make that determination? By the Word of God. God is Faithful to His Word (Psalm 138). And He's also Faithful to communicate to you specifically what His Word is. Once His Word has been received, believe it. As you believe, the Holy Spirit will reinforce the Will of God for your life. Your submission thereto is what will override your feelings and put your emotions in check so that you have the capacity to execute God's Divine Will for your life. If we're going to Walk in the Spirit saints, and walk by faith, we must embrace the motto: Don't Trust Your Feelings.

Preparation for The King

Several months ago, a prophetic word was shared with me in which the Lord stated, "The King is Coming...THE KING IS COMING!". I've tried to express the best that I can that Jesus is Coming Back. However, I want to clarify once again that, when I make the statement that Jesus is Coming Back, I'm not making the statement in a "dispensational" context. Most Christians understand that Jesus is going to return to the earth so set up His Millennial Kingdom, whether it's through the Rapture or simply His Second Coming (1Corinthians 15, Revelation 20). This is not what I'm referring to. My belief is that before Jesus "comes back" (dispensationally speaking) He's Coming Back to set the stage for His Ultimate Return. This is not my doctrine, this is my faith. This is what I believe. And I believe that when The Master Returns, He's going to Release the Greatest Move of God this planet has ever seen. The challenge for us as believers right now is to be in Preparation for The King.

When The King Returns to usher in this Kingdom Move of God, there are some things for which we need to be prepared in order to appropriately receive His Return. One of the things we need to do in Preparation for The King is to make sure that we are Holy. I can tell you now, Jesus is not Coming Back for a raggedy, carnal, flesh-driven Bride. That's not happening. And at the risk of being redundant, I'm not talking about the Rapture, I'm talking about now. The Move that God is going to Manifest in the earth is going to be through His Church. But not just the "Sunday morning attendees". And not even the pastors and preachers. This Move is going to be manifested through His Chosen Elect; and part of what distinguishes the Elect of God is Holiness. Are you whole in your body, soul and spirit? Are you proactively crucifying the flesh with the affections and lusts (Galatians 5)? Are you sanctified unto the Lord (2Corinthians 6)? These are things we must do in Preparation for The King.

Next we must be Faithful. Jesus isn't coming back for a loose and wayward Bride. He's looking for servants who are Faithful to Him and what it is He's called us to do. Now is not the time to get weary in well-doing (Galatians 6) Now is not the time to "leave your first love" (Revelation 2). You need to be more in love with Jesus than you've ever been before. Don't let Ministry and your commitment thereto supersede your passion and affection for Christ Himself. Your commitment to your calling should grow out of your Devotion to the Lord. Be Faithful in Preparation for The King.

Lastly saints, we have to stay Focused. I can assure you, as we prepare to enter the Summer Season, one of the things Satan is going to try to do is distract us and get us off focus. This is why the scripture says to be sober and be diligent (1Peter 5). Don't let the trivial get you frustrated. Don't let the minor things throw you off course and mess up your equilibrium. Stay Focused. Set your Affection on things above, not on things on the earth (Colossians 3). Guard your heart, and make sure that no bitterness or angst or unforgiveness creeps up into your heart and spirit (Ephesians 4). Stay Focused on the Word. Stay Focused on the Goodness of the Lord. Look unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our Faith (Hebrews 12). And saints, if we do these things, when Jesus Comes Back, and The King Is Coming, we will have done the necessary things in Preparation for The King.

America--The Loss of a Christian Nation

 Recently I read a quote from the former head of state of China, Jiang Zemin. He was asked by a former correspondent for Time Magazine, what he wished for in regards to China's future. Zemin's response was, "I would like for my country to become a Christian nation". The rationale for his response was that a panel of Chinese scholars had spent 20 years studying why China continually lagged behind Western culture in science and industry. The conclusion of the study was that Western culture's (America) strength was not in its politics, economy or military. The heart of the success of the West was Christianity and the moral foundation that it provided for the social and cultural life. 

Around the time that America passed the abominable legislation of same-sex marriage, a very popular and prominent preacher made the statement that America was not a Christian nation. From a Witness standpoint, I would agree; but from a historical standpoint, I would not. Regardless of where America is today, this country was founded as a Christian nation. That is a historical fact. Not everything America did or has done, historically, could be categorized as Christian; but when you look at the foundation and the Providence of how this nation came together as a national, sovereign entity, it's hard to deny the hand of God in the forming of this country.

For these reasons, I lament America as The Loss of a Christian Nation. Even though we were founded on Christian principles and beliefs, as a nation, we have made a strong departure from the faith that made America one of the most prosperous nations in the history of the world. Let's look at some of the dynamics that have led to the Loss of our Christian Status.

One of the biggest mistakes America made was when we legally took prayer out of schools. This may not seem like that big of a deal, but what the Morning Prayer in schools did was create and establish a Consciousness of God amongst the children in the school system. Regardless of what was or was not being taught at home regarding the Lord, at least the children could go to school and be introduced to the concept of God. This was significant in regards to the shaping of our culture.

Then another mistake this country made was the legalization of Abortion. To nationally condone the murder of unborn children is a moral disgrace on the Christian witness of our nation. I know several Christians who have participated in abortion. Unfortunately, things happen, and people don't always make the wisest decisions at inopportune moments. But I am almost certain that the Christians that I know who were challenged to get abortions, would not have done so if it had been against the law. There's such a thing as individual choice, and then there's such a thing as the Moral Choice of a Nation. This is why God judges nations as well as individuals (Matthew 12). Legalized Abortion is not the witness of a Christian Nation.

Lastly saints, we have to deal with the most recent moral blunder in this nation's history, the legalization of same-sex marriage. To have a President condone and approve this type of perversion is a travesty. Once again, people can choose if they want to indulge in homosexuality. But same-sex marriage is a national issue. No matter what the dynamics of a person's relationship was with the same sex, the law of the land did not allow them to get married. And once again, the reason this is an abomination is because marriage is not a secular arrangement, it is a Sacred Institution; whether the masses treat it as such or not (including hetero-sexual couples). Once you infringe on the Rights of Almighty God, there's a Price to pay for that. A Christian Nation would not celebrate and promote that which God calls an Abomination (Leviticus 20). America can Repent, and I believe God would be Merciful. But until that time, we will continue to mourn over America as The Loss of a Christian Nation.

Do You Know What Time It Is?

The God we serve is a God of Timing. We are in a Season where it is imperative for us as the children of God to know what time it is. I'm not talking about the time on the clock. I'm not even talking about what time it is in this country. I'm talking about what time it is in regards to the Father's Heavenly Timetable and the events He has planned and ordained for this world and His People for such a time as this. For this reason I ask the question, Do You Know What Time It Is?

Now is a Time of Preparation. Now is not the time to "be on display". Now is not the time to be reaching for the "limelight", wanting to be seen and desiring to be recognized. Now is the Time to operate under the radar. Now is the time to be low-key. Why? Because there are some things that God wants to work out, work in and work on regarding your walk with Him and your relationship with Christ. But a lot of times, when we're operating in the public eye, certain duties and responsibilities can serve more as a distraction than they can to draw us closer to Jesus. So if you're not where you think you're "supposed to be" or even where you "deserve" to be, just Know What Time It Is.

Now is a Time of Discipline. For many of the saints, the first several months of the year have been rough and tough. It has not been "easy-going". As I've expressed before, many of you are asking God, "what in the world is going on"? The Father is Disciplining you. Not in terms of punishment or judgment, but in terms of Development and Edification. I know it may "feel" like you've done something wrong, but that's not where God is coming from. The scripture clearly says, "whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son (or daughter) whom He receiveth" (Hebrews 12). If God didn't Discipline us and Chastise us for the purpose of Character Development and Spiritual Purification, once He placed us in our Post of Service, we'd be more raggedy than we could ever imagine. God knows what He's Doing. It's a Time of Discipline.

Lastly saints, we are in a Time of Hope. For many this may seem like a time of pain, a time of despair, a time of distress, a time of grief; and to a certain extent all of this may be true. But when you're dealing with Jehovah through the Blood Covenant of His Son, Jesus the Christ, no situation can be characterized by distress, despair, depression or pain. The scripture says that Jesus endured the Cross because of the joy that was set before Him (Hebrews 12). What's the Joy that the Father has placed before you? What's the Prize that He's Promised you to Incentivize your Faith? What is your Heavenly Hope that at His Appointed Time will manifest in the Natural Realm? Do you know? If you do, then by the Grace of God, you Know What Time It Is.

Decisions and Seeds

Many times people wonder about how their life is going to turn out and what is going to be the summation or outcome of their Destiny. This is a very interesting thought that every human being ought to take very seriously. However, the unfolding of one's Destiny and the outcome of life is not as mysterious as one would think. For the most part, all things considered, you can map out your destiny by two primary things: your Decisions and Seeds.

The cumulative effect of one's life can be summed up succinctly, based upon the various Decisions that we make and the Seeds that have been planted in our lives and the Seeds that we choose to plant in and with our lives. Of course there are always extenuating circumstances for which we generally are not prepared for (a sudden accident, death of a loved one, losing a job, etc.). But even with the various fortuitous events that are sometimes thrust upon us, the Decisions we make and the Seeds that we plant in response to those things still end up shaping our Destiny.

I want to urge everyone to take great care in regards to the Decisions that you make during this Time. Regardless of what people may say and in spite of how things may feel, this is not a time to be careless, reckless or indifferent when it comes to the Choices that we make in and for our lives right now. Even things that on the surface may seem "inconsequential", take the time to "think" and truly ponder, is this a Wise Decision to make at this time? Once again, I'm not just talking about "major decisions", I'm talking about what we would consider "everyday" decisions. Are these the right people to be hanging out with right now? Is this a good relationship and friendship to be developing? Do I need to take this promotion? Should I be getting involved in this Ministry? The Decisions that we make shape and form our Destiny.

Then saints, we need to look at the Seeds that we plant. The scripture says very clearly, Be not deceived, God is not mocked; whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap (Galatians 6). We need to very careful and prayerful about the Seeds that we plant. We need to examine the Seeds we're planting with our Families. Are we honoring our parents? Are we honoring our spouse? Are we covering and training our children? We need to examine the Seeds we're sowing Financially. Are we paying our tithes? Are we giving sacrificially? Are we supporting the poor? And lastly, we need to examine the Seeds we're sowing unto the Lord. Are we giving Him the Praise and Worship that He deserves? Are we being obedient to His Will, even the things that are not personally convenient and at times even hurt? Are we treating others the way we want to be treated? If we examine these various areas, we will find that at the end of the day, our Destiny and our Future is determined by our Decisions and Seeds.

The Messiah has Come

If you are familiar with the Jews' religion, then you are aware that collectively they do not embrace Jesus Christ as the Messiah. As Christians, we embrace Jesus as the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of David, who would sit on the throne of David as the result of the Davidic Covenant that God the Father made with King David prior to his death (2Samuel 7). However, the Jews do not embrace the belief that the Man who walked the earth nearly two thousand years ago and died on the Cross for the sins of the world, is the individual for which the scriptures prophesied would come and restore the kingdom to Israel (Acts 1).

This "difference of opinion" has served as a major divide between the Jews and the church since the inception of Christianity. However, there's something that the church needs to atleast take into consideration in regards to the perspective of the Jews not embracing Jesus Christ as the Coming Messiah. The widespread belief amongst the Jews was (and is) that when the Messiah would come, not only would He restore the Kingdom to Israel and assume the throne of his father David, but He would also usher in a type of "Golden Age" for the children of Israel that would make them the spectacle of the the world and the glory of God as His chosen people (Isaiah 61). So, the question that a lot of the Jews have in regards to the validity of the Messiahship of He who we worship as Jesus the Christ is, where is the Golden Age? Where is the change and the transformation that is supposed to come when the Promised Messiah assumes His Throne?

This my brothers and sisters is a legitimate question. But it's not an indictment on the Messiah status of Jesus, but rather a reflection on the witness of the church. When Jesus did walk the earth in human flesh, everything that the Scriptures said He would do, He fulfilled (Isaiah 61). He healed the sick, He raised the dead, He gave sight to the blind, He walked in miracles, signs and wonders; and He died for the sins of the world (Isaiah 53). The misunderstanding amongst the Jews is that when Jesus did this in His three year Ministry, He then equipped the apostles to teach and train the saints so that The Golden Age could then be ushered in and manifested by the church (Acts 1). This is why Jesus trained the disciples for 40 days in His Post-Resurrection Ministry. The scripture says that He spoke to them pertaining to the Kingdom of God (Acts 1). But once again, the fallacy and flaw of the faith of the mainstream church is that we don't major in the Kingdom, we major in religion, which we call Christianity. What we do on Sunday mornings and the activity that we contain in our ecclesiastical gathering centers, is not the idea that Christ had nor has of the church. The church, the Body of Christ, is supposed to be the Divine Agent and Instrument for which Jesus in this day and time ushers in the Golden Age of the Kingdom of God. People want to blame the government and the police and the school system and Wall Street for all the problems that are plaguing our society. But Jesus said that the church is the light of the world and the salt of the earth (Matthew 5). Until we learn and commit to accessing the Kingdom Power of God, things are not going to change. But once we do, and we will, people will know that The Messiah has Come.