There is a challenge facing the church, particularly the people of God, that needs to be addressed if collectively as the Body of Christ we're going to be in position to receive and inherit The Kingdom of God. There needs to be a distinction between the Anointing versus Authority, which could be better described as Divine Authority. A lot of the saints have a strong affinity for the Anointing and the working thereof. Which of course we should because the Anointing is of God and is from God. But I tend to run into more than a few devout and devoted children of God who even though they embrace the Anointing, have challenges with Divine Authority and the submission thereof. This is a problem saints, because if you can't submit to Divine Authority, then you can't receive the Kingdom of God. So we must distinguish between The Anointing v.s Authority.
The Anointing of God is the Presence and Operation of the Holy Spirit (1John 2). Jesus received the Anointing of the Holy Spirit when He was baptized by John the Baptist at the Jordan River (Matthew 3). Jesus later goes on to describe the activity and Divine Calling for which the Anointing of the Holy Spirit equipped Him for when He announces His Messianic Mission to the Jews (Luke 4). Every born-again believer in Christ receives the Anointing when they accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior (John 3). We know this because the only way you can be saved is to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit at the point of salvation, which is the Anointing (Romans 8). So every believer in Christ has the Anointing because they have the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit of God.
The Anointing is manifested in the giftings that God gives to His people in and through the Anointing of the Holy Spirit (1Corinthians 12). This is what allows a believer to preach or teach or to prophesy; it is the Anointing of the Holy Spirit. The church has learned to fall in love with the Anointing and the various gifts that are manifested through the Anointing and Administration of the Holy Spirit. However, and I've said this before, the Anointing is not enough. Atleast not enough to build the Kingdom of God. This is why the Holy Spirit makes it a point to say through the Apostle Peter in the 10th chapter of Acts that Jesus was Anointed with the Spirit and with Power. The Anointing of the Spirit that Jesus received at His baptism by John was not sufficient in and of itself to complete the Mission that the Father had assigned Him to fulfill. That's why He had to go into the Wilderness. And when He came out of the Wilderness, He came out with the Anointing of Power (Matthew 4)
Spiritual Power denotes Spiritual Authority. I run into more than a few Christians who have challenges with Spiritual Authority and the submission thereto. But please understand saints: number one, if you don't have Authority you can't have Power, and number two, if you don't have Power you don't have The Kingdom (1Corinthians 4) For this reason, we must learn to distinguish between the Anointing and Divine Authority.
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
The Nature of Prophecy
Recently I was watching the NBA Playoffs, while talking to a friend of mine on the phone who was watching the same game at the same time. While watching the game, I said to my friend, "Toronto is up by 13 (points)". My friend said, "no they're not, they're only up by 10". I then said, "they just scored a three-pointer (a 3 point shot). Within a split second my friend said, "ok, I just saw the three-pointer". Then they said something that struck my spirit, they said "your tv is ahead of mine". I then said to them, "that's The Nature of Prophecy". God is looking at the same life that we're looking at, but He sees things ahead of time, and He declares it before it happens and within time, what He has declared comes to pass.
The reason this struck me is because many of us respond to a prophetic word the exact same way that my friend reacted to me telling them the score. Because they hadn't "seen" it happen yet (the three-point shot) they wanted to dispute my announcement of the correct score. It wasn't until their tv "caught up with mine" were they able to consent to the reality that I had already foretold. When God gives a prophetic word, we must remember, using this analogy, His tv is "faster than ours". God sees down the line "way ahead" of what we can see. And most of the time, what we're looking at situationally and circumstantially does not reflect the Reality of what He has already prophetically declared. For this reason we don't properly steward the prophetic word that many of us receive because we don't understand The Nature of Prophecy.
What we need to begin to understand and process in regards to the Prophecy that God speaks over our lives is that He already sees it; we don't. So instead of assessing the Word based upon what we're going through or experiencing, or how we feel dispositionally at the present time, our subjective analysis is not the equivalent of what God is already seeing. What we need to do is understand that where we are has no true bearing on what God has prophetically declared.
There have been many a time where I've received a prophetic word and processed it based upon where I was (spiritually) and what I was going through at the time I received the Word. Wrong. This was a big mistake. Why? Because in not understanding it was going to come or yet to happen, I did not appropriately respond to what God was prophetically ministering to me.
Many times God gives a prophetic word as a Warning. Why? So we can change directions, or in more spiritual terms, Repent. If you know there's an accident up the road that's going to block traffic, wouldn't it be wise, if you can, to go another way? I have received several prophetic words that, based upon my proper adherence to what God was Warning me of, have literally changed my Destiny. Also what I'm learning is that God doesn't give a prophetic word for "consideration". If He takes the time to give his prophet a Revelation and a Prophetic Declaration, it's because it's something you need to hear and need to be prepared for. Saints, God is Faithful. He's not going to let us be caught off guard or caught by surprise. But we must begin to understand and embrace The Nature of Prophecy.
The reason this struck me is because many of us respond to a prophetic word the exact same way that my friend reacted to me telling them the score. Because they hadn't "seen" it happen yet (the three-point shot) they wanted to dispute my announcement of the correct score. It wasn't until their tv "caught up with mine" were they able to consent to the reality that I had already foretold. When God gives a prophetic word, we must remember, using this analogy, His tv is "faster than ours". God sees down the line "way ahead" of what we can see. And most of the time, what we're looking at situationally and circumstantially does not reflect the Reality of what He has already prophetically declared. For this reason we don't properly steward the prophetic word that many of us receive because we don't understand The Nature of Prophecy.
What we need to begin to understand and process in regards to the Prophecy that God speaks over our lives is that He already sees it; we don't. So instead of assessing the Word based upon what we're going through or experiencing, or how we feel dispositionally at the present time, our subjective analysis is not the equivalent of what God is already seeing. What we need to do is understand that where we are has no true bearing on what God has prophetically declared.
There have been many a time where I've received a prophetic word and processed it based upon where I was (spiritually) and what I was going through at the time I received the Word. Wrong. This was a big mistake. Why? Because in not understanding it was going to come or yet to happen, I did not appropriately respond to what God was prophetically ministering to me.
Many times God gives a prophetic word as a Warning. Why? So we can change directions, or in more spiritual terms, Repent. If you know there's an accident up the road that's going to block traffic, wouldn't it be wise, if you can, to go another way? I have received several prophetic words that, based upon my proper adherence to what God was Warning me of, have literally changed my Destiny. Also what I'm learning is that God doesn't give a prophetic word for "consideration". If He takes the time to give his prophet a Revelation and a Prophetic Declaration, it's because it's something you need to hear and need to be prepared for. Saints, God is Faithful. He's not going to let us be caught off guard or caught by surprise. But we must begin to understand and embrace The Nature of Prophecy.
Monday, May 16, 2016
Stay Focused
This is a subject that has probably been previously addressed, but it bears covering one more time. We are in a season where it is imperative that as the people of God and the chosen of God, we remain Focused. If, by the Grace of God, you are on the Path for which God has called you to follow, and you're walking in Obedience, then all you need to do at this stage of the game is Stay Focused. The Devil wants to distract the people of God in order to get us off track and out of Divine position. This is why the scripture strongly admonishes us to Be Sober and Be Vigilant (1Peter 5). The Devil's not playing; but neither is our God! And the word is true, Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world (1John 4). For this reason, we have to Stay Focused.
One of the ways that we can maintain our Focus is to Seek first the Kingdom of God. Jesus tells us to do this in the 6th chapter of the Gospel of Saint Matthew. Seeking talks about Focus. What is your primary pursuit right now for your life? Is it your career? Is it a Relationship? Is it your Family? Is it your Ministry? If it's any of the above, then your Focus is Off. You may be asking, how can you say that? Surely my Family and my Ministry are things that the Lord wants me to focus on? I will not argue that. But remember the question, what is your primary pursuit? The problem is not having "a" focus on your family or job or even your ministry. The problem is when those things become your Primary Focus. According to the Word of God, our Primary Focus needs to be the Kingdom of God. Those other areas in our lives cannot be made synonymous and the equivalent thereof for the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God talks about the Rule and Reign of God, first in our hearts and then in the world (Luke 17). As you seek first the Kingdom of God, the Spirit will give you "Kingdom Principles" of how to regulate the other areas of your life. Stay Focused.
Another way for us to Stay Focused is to Look Unto Jesus. The scripture says in the 12th chapter of the Book of Hebrews, "looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith". If we're going to Stay Focused we're going to have to look to Jesus. So many times as Christians, we're apt to look to everybody else instead of Looking to Jesus. We want to look to our parents, we want to look to our friends, we want to look to our pastor and other spiritual advisors. But the Word says, Look Unto Jesus. Now this doesn't mean that the Lord can't use your parents or your pastor to minister to you in His Name. But as it relates to Dependency, as it relates to Solace and Consolation, as it relates to Comfort and Self-Definition, these things need to come from Jesus. And you're only going to "get" them from Jesus as you Look "unto" Jesus. Stay Focused.
Lastly saints, if we're going to Stay Focused, we're going to have to Guard our Affections. The scripture says in the 3rd chapter of Colossians, "set your Affection on things above, not on things on the earth". Too many of us as Christians have our affections rooted in the earthly, sensual and carnal rather than on the Heavenly and Eternal. Where is your Passion? Where is your Heart? Where is your True Desire? If it's on the earthly and temporal instead of the Heavenly and Eternal, you're Off Focus. Make sure that you're reaching for those things with your Affections that truly reflect the Glory of God and the Heavenly Reality being manifested here on earth. Stay Focused.
One of the ways that we can maintain our Focus is to Seek first the Kingdom of God. Jesus tells us to do this in the 6th chapter of the Gospel of Saint Matthew. Seeking talks about Focus. What is your primary pursuit right now for your life? Is it your career? Is it a Relationship? Is it your Family? Is it your Ministry? If it's any of the above, then your Focus is Off. You may be asking, how can you say that? Surely my Family and my Ministry are things that the Lord wants me to focus on? I will not argue that. But remember the question, what is your primary pursuit? The problem is not having "a" focus on your family or job or even your ministry. The problem is when those things become your Primary Focus. According to the Word of God, our Primary Focus needs to be the Kingdom of God. Those other areas in our lives cannot be made synonymous and the equivalent thereof for the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God talks about the Rule and Reign of God, first in our hearts and then in the world (Luke 17). As you seek first the Kingdom of God, the Spirit will give you "Kingdom Principles" of how to regulate the other areas of your life. Stay Focused.
Another way for us to Stay Focused is to Look Unto Jesus. The scripture says in the 12th chapter of the Book of Hebrews, "looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith". If we're going to Stay Focused we're going to have to look to Jesus. So many times as Christians, we're apt to look to everybody else instead of Looking to Jesus. We want to look to our parents, we want to look to our friends, we want to look to our pastor and other spiritual advisors. But the Word says, Look Unto Jesus. Now this doesn't mean that the Lord can't use your parents or your pastor to minister to you in His Name. But as it relates to Dependency, as it relates to Solace and Consolation, as it relates to Comfort and Self-Definition, these things need to come from Jesus. And you're only going to "get" them from Jesus as you Look "unto" Jesus. Stay Focused.
Lastly saints, if we're going to Stay Focused, we're going to have to Guard our Affections. The scripture says in the 3rd chapter of Colossians, "set your Affection on things above, not on things on the earth". Too many of us as Christians have our affections rooted in the earthly, sensual and carnal rather than on the Heavenly and Eternal. Where is your Passion? Where is your Heart? Where is your True Desire? If it's on the earthly and temporal instead of the Heavenly and Eternal, you're Off Focus. Make sure that you're reaching for those things with your Affections that truly reflect the Glory of God and the Heavenly Reality being manifested here on earth. Stay Focused.
Saturday, May 14, 2016
Get To the Glory
Do you know what the prize of being a Christian is? It is the Glory of God. This is not a subject that is covered sufficiently in the mainstream church, but it's one that in the coming days, I believe, will literally consume those who have been chosen and prepared for the next Kingdom Move of God. The days of Christians simply setting their sights on going to Heaven when they die are over. If you look at it realistically, the prospect of going to Heaven after we physically die has not served as a major source of motivation in regards to fueling Christian commitment and sacrifice. Why? Because God did not intend man to live strictly within a "hereafter" context (even though this context is important when appropriately applied) but in the here and now with an Eternal perspective. This Eternal perspective consists of The Glory of God. And what we want to do as believers in Christ and children of God is to Get to the Glory.
The Glory of God is the Manifest Presence of God. It is also the atmospheric reality of Heaven. Just as you need oxygen to exist on earth, The Glory of God fills the very atmosphere of Heaven. When God created humanity and placed him in the Garden of Eden, he lived in the Manifest Presence and Glory of God (Genesis 1-2). This is hard for us to conceive because all we've known is the reality of Fallen Man and Sinful Creation. But needless to say, this is not the Divine Will of God for the earth. We know that humanity existed in the Glory of God before Adam's act of disobedience because the scripture says that all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God (Romans 3). The rationale is that if there is no sin, there is no fall and consequently, the Glory of God is still in tact for God's creation and humanity. The Blessing is that Jesus died to redeem, restore and renew this Original Glory that God had given to man (1Corinthians 15). But it's not going to be given to us on a silver platter just because we've accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior. We must work and we must stretch to Get To the Glory.
When Jesus was ministering to His disciples on the Emmaus road after His Resurrection, He said to them, "ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into His Glory?" (Luke 24). The key to getting to the Glory of God is Suffering. This is a challenge for many human beings, even Christians, because we've been conditioned to be so "pain aversive". Of course this is natural, but it's not Supernatural. As a matter of fact, when Jesus was trying to convey to the disciples about His Mission of Crucifixion, Peter tried to dissuade Him from this course, and his actions were categorized as "satanic" (Matthew 16). Why is this important? Because saints, as the church and as the Body of Christ, we are not going to be able to change the world nor sustain a Move of God, if we're not acclimated and oriented towards suffering for the cause of Christ. This Suffering will entail physical, mental, emotional and spiritual suffering. We can't continue to run from the Call of the Cross. Peter said that this is what we are called to (1Peter 2). But our motivation and incentive for bearing our Cross and suffering like Christ should be the same motivation and objective that Jesus had: to Get to the Glory.
The Glory of God is the Manifest Presence of God. It is also the atmospheric reality of Heaven. Just as you need oxygen to exist on earth, The Glory of God fills the very atmosphere of Heaven. When God created humanity and placed him in the Garden of Eden, he lived in the Manifest Presence and Glory of God (Genesis 1-2). This is hard for us to conceive because all we've known is the reality of Fallen Man and Sinful Creation. But needless to say, this is not the Divine Will of God for the earth. We know that humanity existed in the Glory of God before Adam's act of disobedience because the scripture says that all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God (Romans 3). The rationale is that if there is no sin, there is no fall and consequently, the Glory of God is still in tact for God's creation and humanity. The Blessing is that Jesus died to redeem, restore and renew this Original Glory that God had given to man (1Corinthians 15). But it's not going to be given to us on a silver platter just because we've accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior. We must work and we must stretch to Get To the Glory.
When Jesus was ministering to His disciples on the Emmaus road after His Resurrection, He said to them, "ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into His Glory?" (Luke 24). The key to getting to the Glory of God is Suffering. This is a challenge for many human beings, even Christians, because we've been conditioned to be so "pain aversive". Of course this is natural, but it's not Supernatural. As a matter of fact, when Jesus was trying to convey to the disciples about His Mission of Crucifixion, Peter tried to dissuade Him from this course, and his actions were categorized as "satanic" (Matthew 16). Why is this important? Because saints, as the church and as the Body of Christ, we are not going to be able to change the world nor sustain a Move of God, if we're not acclimated and oriented towards suffering for the cause of Christ. This Suffering will entail physical, mental, emotional and spiritual suffering. We can't continue to run from the Call of the Cross. Peter said that this is what we are called to (1Peter 2). But our motivation and incentive for bearing our Cross and suffering like Christ should be the same motivation and objective that Jesus had: to Get to the Glory.
Friday, May 13, 2016
Cut It Out
Some of you may be familiar with the colloquial phrase "Cut It Out". This phrase is usually related to children when you want them to stop a particular behavior, a parent may say to the child "Cut It Out". Saints, we are in a place in the Spirit Realm to where, if we're going to continue to walk with The Father and with The Son, the exhortation of the Holy Spirit to God's children is to "Cut It Out". There are some things that are going to have to be "Cut Out" if we're going to go to the next level in Christ and operate in another dimension in the Spirit. For this reason the Spirit says to the elect, "Cut It Out".
In the Old Testament, the sign of the Covenant that God made with Abraham (the Abrahamic Covenant) was sealed by the rite of Circumcision (Genesis 17). The practice of Circumcision involved the cutting off of the foreskin of the male penis. Any male who did not undergo the rite of Circumcision was not considered by God to be a part of the Covenant People of Jehovah. Today in the New Testament, the scripture says that Circumcision is no longer outward in the flesh, but circumcision of the heart and the spirit (Romans 2). Saints, even though our Covenant with the Father is no longer contingent upon the practice of physical circumcision, we are still required to undergo the spiritual procedure of Circumcision of the Heart. Which means, once again, there are some areas for which we're going to have to "Cut It Out".
One of the things that's going to have to be Cut Out of a lot of us is bitterness and resentment. There are still too many of God's people that are walking around with grudges and grievances against there fellow brothers and sisters. This is not of God. The scripture clearly says that we are to forgive others as Christ has forgiven us (Ephesians 4). Did you know that holding on to bitterness and unforgiveness can defile you? The scripture says that many are defiled by the root of bitterness (Hebrews 12). Saints let me assure you, whoever you're mad at or upset with, it's not worth losing your Divine Inheritance over. Many a believer has forfeited the choicest blessings that God has ordained for them simply because they've chosen to stay mad and angry towards someone who hurt them or mistreated them. I strongly suggest that in such cases you allow the Holy Spirit to "Cut It Out".
Another area that we're going to have to address if we're going to move forward with the Lord is the modification of certain actions and behaviors. The Lord keeps stressing to me that the prerequisite for walking in His Glory and Eternal Destiny is Holiness (Hebrews 12). The Bible clearly says, "Be ye holy, for I AM HOLY" (1Peter 1). Holiness is mandatory for walking in Intimacy with the Lord. There are too many of us that are still too undisciplined when it comes to exercising Holiness in our lives. And remember, Holiness is not about your "morality", Holiness is about being Whole: whole in your Body, whole in your Soul and whole in your Spirit (1Thessalonians 5). Have you offered your body as a Living Sacrifice unto God, holy and acceptable unto Him? (Romans 12) Have you allowed the Holy Spirit to heal your heart and mind of defective attitudes that are sponsoring emotional deficits, precluding the character of Christ of being fully formed in you? Have you learned how to crucify the flesh with the affections and lusts and thereby learned to Rest in Christ and cease from your own works? (Hebrews 4) These are the references to what it means to be Holy. And I'm sure it goes without saying, in order for us to walk in the Holiness for which God is calling us to, there are some areas for which we're going to have to "Cut It Out".
In the Old Testament, the sign of the Covenant that God made with Abraham (the Abrahamic Covenant) was sealed by the rite of Circumcision (Genesis 17). The practice of Circumcision involved the cutting off of the foreskin of the male penis. Any male who did not undergo the rite of Circumcision was not considered by God to be a part of the Covenant People of Jehovah. Today in the New Testament, the scripture says that Circumcision is no longer outward in the flesh, but circumcision of the heart and the spirit (Romans 2). Saints, even though our Covenant with the Father is no longer contingent upon the practice of physical circumcision, we are still required to undergo the spiritual procedure of Circumcision of the Heart. Which means, once again, there are some areas for which we're going to have to "Cut It Out".
One of the things that's going to have to be Cut Out of a lot of us is bitterness and resentment. There are still too many of God's people that are walking around with grudges and grievances against there fellow brothers and sisters. This is not of God. The scripture clearly says that we are to forgive others as Christ has forgiven us (Ephesians 4). Did you know that holding on to bitterness and unforgiveness can defile you? The scripture says that many are defiled by the root of bitterness (Hebrews 12). Saints let me assure you, whoever you're mad at or upset with, it's not worth losing your Divine Inheritance over. Many a believer has forfeited the choicest blessings that God has ordained for them simply because they've chosen to stay mad and angry towards someone who hurt them or mistreated them. I strongly suggest that in such cases you allow the Holy Spirit to "Cut It Out".
Another area that we're going to have to address if we're going to move forward with the Lord is the modification of certain actions and behaviors. The Lord keeps stressing to me that the prerequisite for walking in His Glory and Eternal Destiny is Holiness (Hebrews 12). The Bible clearly says, "Be ye holy, for I AM HOLY" (1Peter 1). Holiness is mandatory for walking in Intimacy with the Lord. There are too many of us that are still too undisciplined when it comes to exercising Holiness in our lives. And remember, Holiness is not about your "morality", Holiness is about being Whole: whole in your Body, whole in your Soul and whole in your Spirit (1Thessalonians 5). Have you offered your body as a Living Sacrifice unto God, holy and acceptable unto Him? (Romans 12) Have you allowed the Holy Spirit to heal your heart and mind of defective attitudes that are sponsoring emotional deficits, precluding the character of Christ of being fully formed in you? Have you learned how to crucify the flesh with the affections and lusts and thereby learned to Rest in Christ and cease from your own works? (Hebrews 4) These are the references to what it means to be Holy. And I'm sure it goes without saying, in order for us to walk in the Holiness for which God is calling us to, there are some areas for which we're going to have to "Cut It Out".
Thursday, May 12, 2016
The Pathway to Destiny
We are in a time where everyone who is a child of God, needs to begin to seriously consider and contemplate God's Divine Destiny for their lives. We are in a very special moment of Transition in the earth. I can't totally explain it, but we're actually moving into a Different Era. The Shift has been taking place for a few years now, but if you're sensitive to the Spirit, you can sense the culmination and climax of what God is getting ready to release on the scene. We all must now properly position ourselves for The Pathway to Destiny that The Father has ordained for our lives.
If you look at your life now, and where you were 20 years ago, regardless of your age, you would probably have to admit that your life is now "radically" different. Of course, that would stand to reason after the transpiring of two decades. But I'm not just talking about the "passing of time", I'm talking about the creation of Shifts. Believe it or not, some people's lives really don't change all that much after twenty years. But I would suspect that for many of us, such is not the case. Once again, why is this significant? Because the changes that have transpired, internally and externally, point to the Divine Destiny that God has ordained and orchestrated for your life. Nothing has happened by accident! As a child of God, everything in your life has been sponsored by Divine Providence, even your mistakes. But in order to reach your Divine Destiny, you must identify, get on, and stay on The Pathway.
One of the challenges for many of us in terms of The Pathway to Destiny that God has ordained for our lives, is the challenge of dealing with Pain. No matter who you are and no matter how long you've lived, Pain is an intricate and integral part of Life. You just can't get away from that fact or that reality. However, that's exactly what a lot of us try to do. We want to "run from the pain". Not address it, not resolve it, not even release it; run from it. But saints, do you know that the Pain that God is Providentially allowing to take place in your life is Sovereignly Sanctioned to facilitate the fulfillment of your Divine Destiny? This is what people don't understand and why so many Divine Callings and Purposes never get temporally fulfilled. Would Joseph had fulfilled his Destiny had his brothers not thrown him in a pit and then sold him into slavery? (Genesis 37) Would his Destiny had been fulfilled if Potiphar's wife hadn't lied on him and he then be consequently thrown in jail for two years? (Geneis 39) Would David had fulfilled his destiny if he hadn't had the trials of running for his life when King Saul wanted him killed? (1Samuel 19). And most importantly, Jesus would not have fulfilled His Destiny had he not endured the Pain of the Cross (Hebrews 12). The similarity in all of these examples is that none of these men, particularly Jesus, deserved the pain for which they were challenged to endure. But The Father allowed them to go through, and in Jesus's case specifically-orchestrated it and ordained it, to the Glory of His Name. You're going through what you're going through for a reason. It's part of your Pathway to Destiny.
If you look at your life now, and where you were 20 years ago, regardless of your age, you would probably have to admit that your life is now "radically" different. Of course, that would stand to reason after the transpiring of two decades. But I'm not just talking about the "passing of time", I'm talking about the creation of Shifts. Believe it or not, some people's lives really don't change all that much after twenty years. But I would suspect that for many of us, such is not the case. Once again, why is this significant? Because the changes that have transpired, internally and externally, point to the Divine Destiny that God has ordained and orchestrated for your life. Nothing has happened by accident! As a child of God, everything in your life has been sponsored by Divine Providence, even your mistakes. But in order to reach your Divine Destiny, you must identify, get on, and stay on The Pathway.
One of the challenges for many of us in terms of The Pathway to Destiny that God has ordained for our lives, is the challenge of dealing with Pain. No matter who you are and no matter how long you've lived, Pain is an intricate and integral part of Life. You just can't get away from that fact or that reality. However, that's exactly what a lot of us try to do. We want to "run from the pain". Not address it, not resolve it, not even release it; run from it. But saints, do you know that the Pain that God is Providentially allowing to take place in your life is Sovereignly Sanctioned to facilitate the fulfillment of your Divine Destiny? This is what people don't understand and why so many Divine Callings and Purposes never get temporally fulfilled. Would Joseph had fulfilled his Destiny had his brothers not thrown him in a pit and then sold him into slavery? (Genesis 37) Would his Destiny had been fulfilled if Potiphar's wife hadn't lied on him and he then be consequently thrown in jail for two years? (Geneis 39) Would David had fulfilled his destiny if he hadn't had the trials of running for his life when King Saul wanted him killed? (1Samuel 19). And most importantly, Jesus would not have fulfilled His Destiny had he not endured the Pain of the Cross (Hebrews 12). The similarity in all of these examples is that none of these men, particularly Jesus, deserved the pain for which they were challenged to endure. But The Father allowed them to go through, and in Jesus's case specifically-orchestrated it and ordained it, to the Glory of His Name. You're going through what you're going through for a reason. It's part of your Pathway to Destiny.
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
This Is A Man's World
Many of you may be familiar with the late James Brown's classic song, "It Is a Man's World". The opening line of the song is, "This is a man's world". And saints, James Brown was right, This Is A Man's World. It is not my objective to come across as chauvinistic. For the point of this discussion today, one could easily say it is a human's world. But according to the scriptures, the song is accurate, This IS A Man's World (1Corinthians 11). Once again, the point is not the distinction between man and woman, the focus is on the role of Man (Human) in the leadership and rulership of the earth. The scripture says, "The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord's: but the earth hath He given to the children of men" (Psalm 115). Therefore, according to the Word of God, This Is A Man's World.
Why is this so important? Because our society, including the church, has adopted what I'd like to describe as a "defeatist" attitude and mentality. Everybody is moaning and groaning about the state of affairs in our nation and in our world. People are complaining about the economy. People are complaining about government. People are concerned about ISIS and other terrorist attacks. The situation in Flint, Michigan is still in an uproar over the Water Crisis. Teachers in Detroit won't go to work because they can't get paid. And the list goes on. But the question I want to raise today is, what are we going to do about it? It's time to quit complaining, it's time to stop whining, and let's step up and take responsibility for the various issues that we are challenged to face. This Is A Man's World!
If there's one group that should not be complaining and not be overwhelmed by the state of our nation and our world is the church. As the Body of Christ, Jesus is our Head (Colossians 1). That being said, Jesus said before He ascended back to the Father that All Power in Heaven and in earth was in His Hands (Matthew 28). What this means is that through Jesus Christ WE HAVE AUTHORITY. We have Dominion--Divinely Ordained Dominion, that was restored back to us from the Beginning (Genesis 1). This means that if the world is going to get better, and it can, and if things are going to change, and they will, it's our responsibility to see that it happens.
So why isn't the church using the Authority and the Dominion that God has given us in and through His Son Jesus the Christ in order to change the world? Two reasons: one, we won't take a Stand. The church has become as lethargic and indifferent as people in the world. We're so self-contained and "congregationally focused" that we forget that Jesus came for the "world" not just the Covenant Community. The second reason is that we won't trust in God for the answers to the solutions to fix the world's problems. I go back to the prophetic word that was recently released: the Measures are in place for a Turnaround. God already has the answers in place to Turn things Around. He's ready to turn the Economy around. He's ready to turn the Educational System around. He's ready to turn the Government around. He's ready to turn our Families around. And He's ready to turn the church around. God HAS the answers, and He's ready to Release them. But He WILL NOT do it for us. People are "waiting on God" to change things, and He's waiting on us to turn and seek Him to receive the Strategies to implement the change. The Father is not going to do it for us. You know why? This Is a Man's World.
Why is this so important? Because our society, including the church, has adopted what I'd like to describe as a "defeatist" attitude and mentality. Everybody is moaning and groaning about the state of affairs in our nation and in our world. People are complaining about the economy. People are complaining about government. People are concerned about ISIS and other terrorist attacks. The situation in Flint, Michigan is still in an uproar over the Water Crisis. Teachers in Detroit won't go to work because they can't get paid. And the list goes on. But the question I want to raise today is, what are we going to do about it? It's time to quit complaining, it's time to stop whining, and let's step up and take responsibility for the various issues that we are challenged to face. This Is A Man's World!
If there's one group that should not be complaining and not be overwhelmed by the state of our nation and our world is the church. As the Body of Christ, Jesus is our Head (Colossians 1). That being said, Jesus said before He ascended back to the Father that All Power in Heaven and in earth was in His Hands (Matthew 28). What this means is that through Jesus Christ WE HAVE AUTHORITY. We have Dominion--Divinely Ordained Dominion, that was restored back to us from the Beginning (Genesis 1). This means that if the world is going to get better, and it can, and if things are going to change, and they will, it's our responsibility to see that it happens.
So why isn't the church using the Authority and the Dominion that God has given us in and through His Son Jesus the Christ in order to change the world? Two reasons: one, we won't take a Stand. The church has become as lethargic and indifferent as people in the world. We're so self-contained and "congregationally focused" that we forget that Jesus came for the "world" not just the Covenant Community. The second reason is that we won't trust in God for the answers to the solutions to fix the world's problems. I go back to the prophetic word that was recently released: the Measures are in place for a Turnaround. God already has the answers in place to Turn things Around. He's ready to turn the Economy around. He's ready to turn the Educational System around. He's ready to turn the Government around. He's ready to turn our Families around. And He's ready to turn the church around. God HAS the answers, and He's ready to Release them. But He WILL NOT do it for us. People are "waiting on God" to change things, and He's waiting on us to turn and seek Him to receive the Strategies to implement the change. The Father is not going to do it for us. You know why? This Is a Man's World.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)