Focus on the Family, Part 2

Recently a prophetic word was shared with me, where God said that there needs to be A Focus on the Family. God the Father is concerned with the state and status of the Family, and it's time that the church do something proactively to re-establish the Foundation and Value of the Family in our churches and in our country.

When discussing the Family serving as the Foundation of our society, we must also establish that The Foundation of the Family is Marriage. The Order that God originally established for the Family is that of Husband and Wife. Not just man and woman, male and female, Husband and Wife. This is significant, because there are too many couples that think they can start a Family without being married. This is not the Will of God. You can reproduce, you can have children, but in order to start a Family according to the Divine Order that God has established, you must be Husband and Wife. Otherwise, you're not starting a Family, you're developing a Secular Association with genetic blood ties.

This is one of the reasons why there's a major attack on the Institution of Marriage. If you can undermine and redefine Marriage, you can thereby redefine the Family and consequently, redefine Society. This is Satan's whole scheme. But God is ready to Re-Establish the Sanctity and Sacredness of the Institution of Marriage and Family, as the Foundation for The Kingdom of God. Therefore, we must address these attacks.

As I've stated on numerous occasions, one of the greatest ills in our society right now is the legalization of same-sex marriage. I am so grateful that there are states like Mississippi that are passing Religious Freedom Bills to protect the rights of Christians who stand against same-sex marriage according to the Word of God. What the promotion of homosexual unions does is it redefines what marriage is and redefines the Family. My biggest issue with it is that in essence they're saying that God is wrong. The Order that God established in the Beginning for the Family was male and female (Genesis 2). To go against that is a slap in God's Face. And saints I'm trying to tell you, America will have to face serious Judgment if we don't repent of this legal perversion. But the church must take a stand against this; because in taking a stand against same-sex marriage we're taking a stand For the Family, in terms of how God has Ordained the Family to be.

Focus on the Family

Recently a prophetic word was shared with me, where the Lord stressed the Focus of the Family. God is very concerned with the state and status of the Family right now, particularly in America. There's been an attack on the Family for decades now, and it's time that the church fights back and restores the Foundation and the Value of the Family. The Institution of the Family is the Foundation of any society. Therefore, if a society loses the Foundation of Family, it in essence loses the basis of its social foundation. For this reason, it's time for us to Focus on the Family.

The God we serve is a God of Order. The Family Institution is now operating out of Divine Order. Let's first start with Pregnancies. Children are not supposed to be born out of wedlock. Let me say it again: children are not supposed to be born out of wedlock. Which means, if you're not married, you're not supposed to be getting pregnant or getting someone pregnant. People having babies and getting pregnant is now the norm in our society. This is an attack against the Family. But what is it that leads to this particular social phenomenon? People having sex outside of marriage. So let's establish this basic principle that many people, including many Christians, have failed to adhere to: it is not the will of God for people to have sex outside the boundaries of marriage. Which means, if you're not married, you shouldn't be having sex. I don't know too many people (there are a few) who have waited to engage in sexual intercourse until they were legally married. Pre-marital sex and promiscuous behavior is almost to be expected in our society today. But, once again, sex before marriage is an attack against The Family. You can't appropriately address the problem if you don't get to the root. We must promote the Sanctity of Sex in order to restore the Sacredness of Marriage.

With the dynamic of pre-marital sex and babies born out of wedlock, you then have fathers and mothers who are not joined in Holy Matrimony. Therefore, right off the bat, you're dealing with a Fractured Family. There are too many children being born in relational situations where the mother and father are not committed to each other as husband and wife. We're not talking about some "significant other" stuff, we're talking about "Marriage". So this dynamic automatically puts the Family in a fractured, fragmented state that does overwhelming harm to the children emotionally and psychologically. We must make a shift saints. We must advocate and promote these Fundamentals of Family or the Foundation required for the Restoration of the Family will not take place.

Living In the Real World

I'm sure that many of us, when we were growing up in high school or in our late-teens and maybe even early twenties, heard our parents or some other adult figure say to us, "just wait till you get to the Real World". A lot of times college graduates hear this phrase. No longer in school (presumably), now they have to go get a job and start living in "the Real World". This statement suggests that there is a Transition that teenagers and young adults must make in regards to adapting to what could be described as economic and financial self-sufficiency. However, I think this phrase can also apply to the Transition spiritually that many of us need to make as Christians and believers in Christ.

I am convinced that there are too many Christians that, as it relates to their relationship with Christ, still have not Transitioned to Living In the Real World. The question that must first be raised is, what is the Real World? In a Christian context, the Real World is the Spirit Realm, The World of the Invisible. A lot of times, we as Christians still think that what is Real is that for which one can touch and see and taste and feel; this is the "real world". However saints, this is incorrect. The Real World is not that for which you can see, the Real World is that for which you cannot see. We know this is true because God is Real. God is More Real than anything that exists in the universe; and yet we can't and don't see Him. So the basis of Reality is rooted in the Invisible. But let's go a little bit further. Science will tell you that everything that makes up physical matter is comprised and made up of atoms. Have you ever "seen" an atom, outside of a microscope, with your naked eye? No you have not. Why? Because atoms are invisible in the Natural realm. But they are the building blocks of everything you witness in the Natural. Therefore, Reality is not rooted in the visible, it's based upon the Invisible.

With all of this being said, we as believers need to grow up and start learning to operate primarily in the Invisible World of the Spirit Realm. We need to start believing in the Supernatural. We need to be convinced that with God, Miracles are the norm. We need to start accepting the reality of the demonic and the Reality of Angelic Beings. We need to believe in Supernatural Healings and Supernatural Provision. All of these are things that we can't "see". But believe me saints, the Spirit World is "more real" than the Natural Realm. But in order to make that Transition, just like teenagers and young adults, you have to Grow Up. You can't continue to operate on spiritual milk and biblical baby food (Hebrews 5). It's time we learn to start truly walking by faith (2Corinthians 5, Hebrews 11). It's time that as the children of God, we start Living In the Real World.

The Price of Possession

Many of us are familiar with the term "The Promised Land". Not only does it have spiritual and religious application, but many secular venues also use it as a metaphor for success and achievement. When sports teams want to win a particular championship, they'll say things like "we're going to the Promised Land". The phrase really became famous as a quote when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr gave his last speech the night before he was assassinated. He made the statement, "I may not get there with you...but we as a people will get to the Promised Land". Scripturally, the Promised Land refers to the land of Canaan that Jehovah had promised to the children of Israel through covenant with Abraham (Genesis 17). However, there is a Spiritual Promised Land (not just Heaven) that awaits the Christian and believer in Christ as well (Hebrews 4). But what a lot of Christians don't understand is that there is a Price of Possession when it comes to entering God's ordained destiny for our lives.

Many people want to "enter" the Promised Land, but we need to establish that entering the Promised Land is not the goal; that's simply where the Journey begins. Many of us have been pressing and struggling to get into that spiritual zone that can be described as God's Promised Land for our lives. And let me say very quickly that we should continue to press and strive to get to where God has ordained us to be in Him and in the context of His Calling and Purpose for our lives. But I want to emphasize again that "getting to" the Promised Land is not the ultimate goal; possessing the Promised Land is.

With this understanding, we must therefore realize and acknowledge that there is a Price of Possession when it comes to entering the Promised Land. I can assure you that if you're not willing to pay The Price of Possession, you may "get" to the Promised Land, but you won't stay. There must be an internalized understanding of what is required to "stay" in the Promised Land once you get there; and that is The Price of Possession.

Once you enter the Promised Land, The Price of Possession is the willingness and availability to Fight. This is what a lot of Christians don't seem to understand nor accept in regards to entering the spiritual Promised Land that God has ordained for His people. Yes it is a land of Rest, but it is also a Land of War. It is a land of Peace, but it is also a Land of Battle; and if you're not ready for the warfare and if you're not ready for the battle, then subsequently you're not ready for The Promised Land. This is what the children of Israel found out when Moses had the 12 spies do the 40 day survey of the land of Canaan (the Promised Land) before the children of Israel were assigned to enter in (Numbers 13). When they came back, all they could talk about were the giants that they would have to face if they chose to go there. Are you ready for the giants of your Promised Land? Are you ready for the constant battles, the seemingly endless attacks; attacks against your character, attacks against your ministry, attacks against your family. Are you ready to be challenged to confront obstacles and enemies that are bigger and stronger and smarter than you are? If you're not, then you're not ready for your Promised Land. But be Encouraged, the Lord said to Joshua, "Be strong and of a good courage" (Joshua 1). Remember what the Word says, the Battle is not yours, it is the Lord's (2Chronicles 20). When you get to the Promised Land, the Good News is that God is the one who does the fighting. Praise the Lord! But you still have to go through the battle and you still have to stand for God in the War. It is The Price of Possession.

The Perseverance of Passion

Have you ever been "in love"? I know that is somewhat of a generic term, particularly in regards to the spirituality of Christian believers. Yet, however generic it may be, there are more than a few Christians that have had that experience. So I ask the question again, have you ever been "in love"? If you have, then you know that when you are going through this emotional experience, you'll put up with a lot of "stuff". People can dog you out, mistreat you, do you wrong, hurt your feelings; but when you're "in love" you just seem to find a way to "take it". Ever been there? It's not always the best place to be, but it speaks to what I want to address today as The Perseverance of Passion.

When you have Passion for someone (we'll use this word to substitute for "in love"), your endurance and aptitude for the things that you don't generally like seems to expand and increase. You have a desire to go that "extra mile" for that person, even when your effort is not requested (and in some cases not even desired). But this is what Passion will make you do. When you have Passion directed towards a person, particularly in a relational-romantic context, your ability to Persevere almost seems unimaginable. Why is this important? Because there's nothing wrong with having Relational Passion, but we need to make sure that the Passion we develop first goes to Christ, then is meted out to those whom He has called us to serve.

A few years ago I received an Apostolic Declaration from a young apostle; and they shared with me (and I paraphrase) that Jesus was upset by the lack of fire and devotion that His people have towards Him. If we be honest, many (if not most) of the Christians that we know and meet are dry when it comes to having Passion for Christ. We "say" we love the Lord, but where are the signs? I ask you, would you want a Passion where the person won't talk to you? Would you want a Passion where the person won't openly and verbally express their appreciation and adoration for you? Would you want a Passion where the person is not faithful to you? The answer is a resounding, No! But that's how many of us do Jesus. We won't pray, we won't read the Word, we won't worship and we're not obedient and faithful to the things He's called us to do. So I ask the question, where is the love, where is the Passion? We need to revive and restore The Perseverance of Passion. We need to get on fire for loving the Lord. And whatever we have to go through, whether it's the loss of relationships, the loss of jobs, the loss of finances, we'll do it. This my brothers and sisters is The Perseverance of Passion, and it needs to be restored to our relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ.

Gone

Some of us are familiar with the colloquial phrase "they're gone". This is not a reference to someone leaving a particular geographical location, but rather a description of one's mental or psychological state. When a person is referred to as "Gone", it generally means that the person has made a transition mentally and psychologically that has them operating behaviorially in a way that's either outside of the norm or maybe even looked at as extreme or unconventional. The connotation of "they're gone" doesn't have to be negative; it can be positive such as is in sports if someone is excelling beyond their athletic peers, someone could say "they're gone" as like operating in another performance zone. But generally, when this phrase is used, the person could be gone relationally, physically, attitudinally, emotionally. Basically, they've moved beyond the realm of conventional expectation.

I say all of this because, generally speaking, people don't like to be referred to as "Gone". People want to be looked at as relatively normal and operating within given expectations. But as for the believer in Christ and us as children of God, it's high time people start looking at our Christian witness and say, "they're gone". Too many Christians are playing it "too close to the vest" as it relates to the demonstration of our Christian witness. A lot of believers are so scared of being viewed as a "Christian fanatic" that they won't sell out for Christ. This fear and apprehension is not of God. Too many of us are still being regulated by tradition, denominationalism, ritualism and congregational expectations. Bottom line, these are all man-made phenomena. None of these things are germain to bringing Glory to God. The only way we're going to bring Glory to God is that our witness for the Lord is described as "Gone".

There's a line that's being drawn in the church, and at some point every believer in Christ is going to have to make a conscious decision of where they personally fall in regards to that line. The line that's being drawn in the church is the line between the Natural and the Supernatural. Too many churches want to worship God within the confines and restrictions of the Natural Order. Let me say for the record, this is not the Will of God. I would suspect that many Christians grew up in churches where the Manifestation of the Supernatural (miracles, signs and wonders) was not the norm. However, that doesn't mean it was right, let alone the Divine Will of God. The scripture says in Acts 17 that there was a time when God "winked" at some things. In other words, He tolerated the lack of faith of His people and let some things go. But He's not winking anymore; and one of the demands that the Lord is pressing upon His church and His people is a return to the Supernatural. We serve a Supernatural God. Therefore we ought to expect Supernatural Demonstration and Supernatural Manifestation.

However, if the church is going to witness Supernatural Manifestation, we must develop a "supernautral" type faith. And in order to do that, we're going to have to "go out there". We're going to have to get out of the boat (referring to Peter, Matthew 14) of our complacency, self-interest, self-centeredness and comfort zone and really reach for Christ in submission and obedience like we never have before. But the only way you can do this is, you have to be Gone.

The Connection Between Lust and Envy

Everyone, whether they're willing to admit it or not, has a struggle with the spirit of lust. This particular wrestle isn't restricted to those who are unsaved, but it's also an issue for the believer in Christ (Galatians 5). People have different lusts for different things, but at the end of the day it's still Lust. The most popular object of lust in our society is sex. But people, once again, lust for different things. Some people lust for attention, some people lust for power, some people lust for control, some people lust for money, some people lust for fame, some people lust for companionship, some people lust for food...and the list goes on. But if you are a child of God and a believer in Christ, then we are commanded to crucify the flesh with the affections and lusts (Galatians 5). Settling for our lusts and growing complacent with them is a dangerous game spiritually. Reason being is that the spirit of lust can then translate into a Spirit of Envy.


We are entering a season of Promotion. God is ready to Promote His saints who have been faithful to Him and to that which He has called and appointed them to do. However, there are a group of saints and non-believers that, when this Divine Promotion transpires, are not going to be happy. As a matter of fact, they're going to be upset. Why? Because they will not be able to share in the fruits of promotion that those whom God is ready to reward and honor will receive. You can't fake Faithfulness; either you've been obedient to God or you haven't (Luke 6). For this reason, we are going to see a greater manifestation of the Spirit of Envy directed towards the saints (the faithful ones in particular). The key is not to fall victim to this Spirit of Envy. One of the ways we can avoid this is to understand The Connection Between Lust and Envy.


Lust is about having a desire for that which is going to please you and satisfy you, that ultimately takes you out of the Divine Will of God. God doesn't mind us having desires, but there's a problem when those desires represent self-indulgence and the violation of His Divine Will for our lives. However, a lot of times we don't always get our lusts fulfilled, and we never get personally fulfilled through the indulgence of our lusts. So at the end of the day, we're not satisfied. The scripture says in the 4th chapter of the Book of James that, "the spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy". A lot of times we think, when we're in pursuit of the indulgence and satisfaction of our lust, that we're not "hurting anybody". This is incorrect. It's all a satanic set-up. If you don't check your lusts at the door and allow the Holy Spirit to teach you how to crucify them, you will become a victim and proponent of the Spirit of Envy.


The reason why this is so significant is because the spirit that led the Pharisees and Sadducees to crucify Christ was the Spirit of Envy (Matthew 27). In other words, it's an Anti-Christ spirit. When the New Season that God is birthing in the earth is manifested, if you haven't learned to deal appropriately with your lusts, you'll find yourself perpetrating a spirit of envy and nurturing in your being an Anti-Christ Spirit. We don't have to go this route if we can be aggressive now in resolving The Connection Between Lust and Envy.