Wait

When Jesus was resurrected from the dead, the Scripture says that He spent 40 days with His disciples, teaching them things pertaining to the Kingdom of God (Acts 1). One of the main things that He said in His conversation and preparation of them for the Manifestation of the Kingdom was to "wait for the promise of the Father". Saints, if we are going to be properly positioned and prepared for the Kingdom Movement that God is getting ready to release upon the earth, it is imperative that we learn how to Wait.

There are many of us that have been in preparation mode for the Next Move of God for quite some time now. Some of you have made major sacrifices in the interest of having God's Divine Will fulfilled in your life. However, with every passing day, with the challenges, the sacrifice, the inconvenience, the misunderstandings; you're getting to the point where you're like, when Lord, when? But saints, instead of getting frustrated, instead of getting discouraged, instead of being on the verge of throwing in the towel, you simply need to Wait.

Remember Abraham, who is the father of faith and the witness for whom we are strongly encouraged to model. In regards to the Promise that the Father made to Him, he had to wait 25 years (Hebrews 11). That's a quarter of a century. Most of us ( I can't speak for everyone of course) haven't had to wait that long. And I would suspect that most of us haven't been "waiting" that long (if you understand what I mean). But the scripture says about Abraham, "after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise" (Hebrews 6). He had to Wait. Even though his faith had to be executed immediately, the promise for which he was believing God did not. This we must understand saints, we've got to, during this season, learn and continue to Wait on God.

But here's what we want to remember. When you go back to the Book of Acts, after the disciples had followed Jesus's instructions and Waited in Jerusalem (Acts 1), the scripture says that Suddenly there came a sound from Heaven (Acts 2). Saints, we need to balance our "expectation" with the understanding and reality that when this thing hits that God is going to do, it's going to be Suddenly. I heard a prophet share that when the Lord broke it down to them, it was going to be Quick and Sudden, Quickly-Suddenly. What this means is that, for all intents and purposes, you ain't gonna be ready for what God is getting ready to do no way. So instead of moaning and groaning about what ain't happening and what you don't have and what you're going through; Wait. Use this time to continue to prepare. Use this time to allow the Holy Spirit to continue to renew your mind. Use this time to get a better idea of what you're actually being called to do during this next Season. There's plenty for all of us to do, if we simply learn to Wait.

Don't Be Mad at God

Bitterness, anger and resentment are issues that a lot of people, including the people of God, have to work out and work through. If these are issues that you know are lurking in your spirit, I would strongly suggest that you be very prayerful, and ask the Lord to deliver you from these ungodly spirits (Ephesians 4). For where God is getting ready to take His people, we cannot afford to be operating with unforgiveness and bitterness in our hearts. And remember, the Scripture says very clearly that if you don't forgive your brothers and sisters their trespasses, then the Father will not forgive you of your sins either (Matthew 6). Trust me, whatever someone has done or not done to you is not worth burning in hell for eternity. So by the Grace of God, let us learn to truly forgive those who sin against us.

However, what I'm discovering is that there are people, once again the children of God, who aren't only mad at other people (and in some cases mad at themselves) but they're also mad at God. This is not something that the church likes to readily admit, but it's the truth. There are more than a few Christians who are truly upset with the Lord. They're not going to admit it because it's not the "Christian thing to do" to be mad at God, but they are nonetheless. Saints, we first have to be real with ourselves and then we must proceed to make peace with God. Please, whatever you do, Don't Be Mad with God.

One of the reasons why some people are Mad at God is because of how certain things have gone down in their lives. A lot of people question God's love for them based upon how a Sovereign God has allowed some pretty jacked up things to transpire in their lives. Let us first understand that God is not to blame for some of the messed up things that have gone down in your life. If you want to blame anybody in the spirit realm, blame the Devil! He's the only one committed to raising hell in your life. But quit all this, "Lord if you really loved me, then you wouldn't have let "so and so" happen to me". This attitude and spirit is not of God. God Loves You. Please hear me, GOD LOVES YOU!  So quit blaming God for the problems and hardships and heartaches you've had to endure in your life. 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). God has a purpose for what He's allowed you to go through, and It's Good; but in order to receive it, you have to stop being Mad at God.

Lastly saints, if we're going to stop being Mad at God, we must adopt the posture and position of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. In the Garden of Gethsemane, before the worst suffering any man has ever endured on the earth, Jesus said, "not My will, but ThyWill be done" (Luke 22). There was a supernatural resignation to the Will of The Father on behalf of The Son. There's a mystery to human existence that we have yet to fully embrace, even as believers in Christ: IT'S NOT ABOUT US. Whether we realize it or not, it really is ALL ABOUT GOD. And once we resign our self-centeredness and ego to this Eternal Reality, we will understand that it really profits us nothing to Be Mad at God.

The Choice is Yours

One of the greatest gifts that God has given humanity that distinguishes us from all other living creatures is Freedom of Choice. A lot of people refer to it as "free will", but technically this is incorrect. Because we are created beings, our will is going to be subject to something or someone; ultimately either God or Satan (Romans 6). Part of the Satanic deception is for human beings to think that they are "free" because they can "do what they want to do". But this is not true. Humans do what they're "led" to do. The question is, what spirit is leading you, is it the Spirit of God or is it the spirit of the devil? However, the blessing is that God has given us Choice. We're not forced to serve God and we're not forced to serve Satan, we've been given Freedom of Choice. So in terms of the direction that your life is headed in and the ultimate fulfillment of your destiny, The Choice is Yours.

This message is truly significant for the church today, because God has an Eternal Destiny that He has ordained for every child of God that has accepted His Son Jesus as their Lord and Savior (Jeremiah 29). However, God is not going to "force" His Plans on anyone, not even His children. Therefore, we have to make a Choice. Have you ever wondered why the world is in the shape that it's in? It's because of the Choices that people are making. Have you ever wondered why the church doesn't make more of a difference? It's because of the Choices that we are making. Remember, God has put the control of the earth into the hands of men (Psalm 115). So we can't, as many people tend to do, blame the plight of the world on the "indifference" of God. I'm sure every one of us has heard at some point or another, "if God really loved us, why does He allow the world to be in the shape that it's in?". No, the better question is, if we as human beings really loved ourselves and this planet, why would we allow it to be in the shape that it's in? But at the end of the day, it all goes back to the Choices that we make.

I would urge everyone of us to truly examine with great scrutiny the various Choices that we're being challenged to make during this season. Whether it be career choices, financial choices, health choices, relational choices, ministerial choices; we need to be very prayerful about the Choices we're making right now because, believe it or not, they could actually determine your Destiny. That's why Repentance is so critical during this season. God is giving ALL OF US an opportunity to make the Choice to Turn from some of the delinquent and dysfunctional decisions and Choices that we've made over the last few years, last few months, last few weeks and even the last few days. It's serious saints. In a minute, the Door is going to be closed and you'll then have to "live" with the Choices you've made. Don't be like Esau who sought repentance with tears but could not find it (Hebrews 12). God has a bright future ahead for all of us. But there's also a path of death and destruction that lies ahead as well. Just remember, The Choice is Yours.

Marriage Is Not Equal

I was reading an article the other day where President Obama was talking about "Marriage Rights". The implication of his statements were that now that same-sex marriage has been legalized, marriage has now been made available "equally" to everyone. I was in a church discussion a few days ago, and the same issue came up in terms of people being "treated equally" in regards to marriage in the church. Let's set the record straight: Marriage Is Not Equal. This is what you're going to hear now in regards to the propaganda to reinforce same-sex marriage; that marriage needs to be equal across the board and that "everybody" has a right to marry who they want to. However, as Christians and members of the Body of Christ, our stand needs to be that "marriage rights" and the equality thereof, does not represent the Divine Will of God.

Let us establish once again that Marriage was designed by God strictly for a man with a woman. Marriage is a heterosexual enterprise, not a homosexual one. This is something that the church has to stand on and stand for. We cannot compromise the sanctity and sacredness of Marriage. Marriage is not a secular invention, it is a Sacred Institution. Man didn't come up with the idea of marriage, God did! Therefore, He alone reserves the "right" to determine what marriage is, what it should be, and who has "the right" to participate in the institution for which He as God instituted and ordained. For this reason, the church must take the stand and say No, Marriage is not Equal.

We're coming to a point saints where the church's faith is going to be tested on this issue. Collectively we failed the test last year in 2015 when we allowed the Supreme Court to legislate across the country same-sex marriage in every state. Now you've got Christians talking about, since it's constitutional, then the church has the responsibility to honor marriage amongst all couples. No we don't! It is not the responsibility of the church to uphold the Constitution of the United States; it's the responsibility of the church to stand on the Word of God.  Whenever the laws of our nation conflict with the Divine Law of God, then we as the children of God must stand on the Word, regardless of what the law says. This is why Peter said in the Book of Acts, "we should obey God rather than men" (Acts 5). At some point saints, the church must take a stand.

This issue of same-sex marriage has not been swept under the rug, particularly with the Lord. The Judgment is set. I believe the Lord is still giving America time to repent of this perverted and abominable legislation; and the repentance must start with the church! We must take the stand and acknowledge to the Lord that we've been wrong in our silent sanction of same-sex marriage. We must raise our voice and take a stand for our God. If we continue to be complicit and complacent in regards to this slap in God's Face, then the Judgement that has been set for this country will transpire, starting with the church. But it doesn't have to be that way if we would simply recognize, according to the word of God, that Marriage Is Not Equal.

It's Time to Get Out of the Church

Believe it or not, one of the things that I believe can actually affect one's spirituality detrimentally is to stay too long in the church. Many Christians (I don't know if I would say most) have grown up in the church and been in the church most if not all of their lives. They know all the church hymns. They know popular scripture verses in the Bible. They understand church protocol and all of the do's and don'ts of going to church. But at the end of the day, for many church-going Christians, you don't see any substantive change that's going to literally transform the world. For this reason I say, It's Time to Get Out of the Church.

Let me say very quickly that this statement is not intended to cast any type of negative light upon the church. The church is still the Body of Christ (1Corinthians 12). But what ends up happening to a lot of Christians who actually stay in church too long is that their focus gets off. When a person stays in the organized church for too long, they start to focus more on the church instead of The Kingdom of God. Jesus didn't say seek ye first the church, He said seek ye first the Kingdom (Matthew 6). Unfortunately, the Ministry of the Kingdom and the ministry of the church, oftentimes, are not the same. For this reason, if one is going to focus on the Kingdom the way Jesus prescribed, at some point they will discover that It's Time to Get Out of the Church.

Am I advocating or suggesting that you leave your local congregation? Not necessarily. Am I denouncing one having a church membership and being affiliated with a local congregation? No I am not. What I am saying is that if there is not a Kingdom Focus being facilitated by the church for which you associate and are affiliated, then yes, It's Time to Get Out of the Church. I didn't say it's time to "leave the church". You can stay a member of a local congregation if the Holy Spirit is leading you to stay. But one cannot sustain a Kingdom Focus and fulfill their Kingdom Destiny if at some point they don't Get Out of the Church.

The Kingdom of God will not be found in the church. The Kingdom of God will be found in the world (Acts 1). First off, the church is not a place or a building: the church consists of the people of God who are born again believers in Christ. God has commissioned us to take the message of the Kingdom as the church to the world. But how can we do that if we're always "in the church", in the building, in the sanctuary? We can't. Yes, Jesus ministered in the temple and in the synagogue. But He primarily ministered in the streets, meeting people's needs. That's where the church needs to go. Let's get Outside of the four walls of the places we congregate as the church. Let's get Outside of our church dogma and tradition. Let's get Outside of our preconceived notions and misconceptions about "people in the world" and what they think about Christians and Christianity. Let's get Outside of our comfort zones and stretch into the Kingdom Manifestation that Christ is calling for from His church and His people during this season. Saints, we can no longer simply "do" church anymore. We must answer the Call to be the church and to be a Witness for the Kingdom Revolution that God is ready to release in these upcoming days. And in order to do that, as believers in Christ, we must recognize that It's Time to Get Out of the Church.

The Suspension of the Miraculous

I have often wondered why the mainstream church doesn't witness the amount of Miracles in the life of our congregations as was witnessed in the first century church found in the Book of Acts. We can come up with all types of legitimate explanations: lack of faith, lack of order, lack of obedience, lack of spiritual power. And to a certain extent, all of these things are contributing factors to why we don't witness on a regular basis Miracles, Signs and Wonders in the mainstream American church. But I'd like to suggest another reason today as well, and that is the Spirit of Offense. When the people of God or a community of faith displays or indulges in a Spirit of Offense, then what you experience is The Suspension of the Miraculous.

To be Offended means to experience insult, displeasure, anger or resentment in response to something or someone. Many people carry with them a Spirit of Offense. This means that they are "easily" insulted or angered by the actions or attitudes of others. We generally describe a person like this as one who "wears their heart on their sleeves" or is like "super-sensitive". However, a Spirit of Offense isn't always marked by these characteristics. A lot of times, when people have been hurt, if those wounds have not been healed and they aren't operating in a spirit of forgiveness, they can find themselves subject to a Spirit of Offense. It's not like they're "trying" to be overly sensitive; but because of previous wounds, (emotionally, psychologically, relationally) that haven't been fully addressed and resolved, then they tend to get Offended more easily and more often than others. This is not of God. And the reason this is something that the church needs to deal with is because the Spirit of Offense Suspends the Activity of God, particularly the Supernatural and the Miraculous.

In Matthew chapter 13, Jesus had gone to his hometown to minister. The Bible says that the people were "offended in Him" and as a result, "He did not many mighty works there". What was the source of their Offense? Jesus was a "hometown boy", and they just couldn't believe that someone who they had grown up with and knew His family, could actually be this Great. Saints, one of the biggest problems in the church, particularly in the ministry, is the spirit of Equalizing. When people aren't secure in themselves then it's hard for them to appreciate and embrace you when how God is using you is "greater" than how He's using them. This is one example of a Spirit of Offense, and it needs to be cast out of the church. We will not be in a position corporately, as the Body of Christ, to receive a Supernatural Move of God if we're always in "comparison mode". Learn to embrace and secure who and where you are, and praise God for that. And be honest. Some of us are experiencing "mediocre ministries" because of poor decisions we've made and the exercise of unbelief (Matthew 13). Saints, let us ask God to deliver us from any bitterness, or resentment, or insecurity that is fostering and nurturing within us a Spirit of Offense. If not, we too will experience The Suspension of the Miraculous.

Heading for a Fall

We are in a Season of Preparation. The Lord is preparing His chosen for the Manifestation of the Kingdom of God. Part of the objective of the Kingdom Movement will be to take territory from the Enemy. The kingdom of darkness has area that will be dispossessed and taken over for God in the name of Jesus Christ. Therefore, with this type of spiritual warfare lying ahead, the Enemy would love nothing more than to wipe out the soldiers of the Lord before the Battle even begins. For this reason we must be watchful to make sure we're not Heading for a Fall.

I would suspect there are several of you that have received what I would call "prophetic warnings" from the Lord. Whether it's through a dream, a prophetic word, or a situation for which the Spirit is giving you discernment; the Lord is warning you of a situation that is to come. I want to urge you to take heed to the word of the Lord. Now is not the time to be "nonchalant" when it comes to what God is saying in your life. What I have witnessed (for which I have been guilty of too) is that when the people of God receive a direct word of warning from the Lord, they have a tendency to dismiss it. This is not wise. The general explanation is that the word doesn't necessarily "register" with their spirit. They don't necessarily "see" why the word was given, or even "what's the big deal?". Saints, this is what we need to understand: when God gives you a specific spiritual warning in a particular area of your life, He gives it because you don't see it coming. If you were aware of it, if you were conscious of it, if you were already in preparation mode, you wouldn't need God to speak to you about it. Therefore, the proper response to a prophetic warning, regardless of the context, is Humility, not comprehension. One of the flaws of faith that many saints make is that they try to "understand" a word given by the Lord rather than simply believe the word that's given by the Lord. Remember, we walk by faith and not by sight (2Corinthians 5). So when that word comes, quit trying to analyze it and see if it makes sense. Just receive it. Otherwise, you'll find yourself Heading for a Fall.

When you look at the various Falls that have transpired in scripture, it's specifically because people did not heed the warning and the word of the Lord. Adam and Eve were specifically warned, if you eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, you shall surely die (Genesis 2). When Peter denied Christ before His Crucifixion, Jesus had specifically warned Peter what was going to happen and told him what to do to avoid it (Matthew 26). But Peter didn't listen. The scripture says, "let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall" (1Corinthians 10). Let us make sure during this season, as the Evil One is on the prowl (1Peter 5), that we are heeding the word that the Lord is giving to us. Otherwise, we'll be Heading for a Fall.