Do NOT go by what you see.
If I could sum up God’s directive for this next season we are coming into, it would be that.
As believers, we are, of course, never supposed to go by what we see. But, even though it is a Scripture that we like to quote (“For we walk by faith, not by sight” - 2 Cor. 5:7), it is not how the majority of believers actually live their lives. And, that’s because the world has trained us otherwise.
Read MoreWe’ve all heard the references before to “God’s Army,” fighting spiritual battles and being a “soldier for Christ.” But, have you ever stopped to think about what that actually means? Because, as with everything with the Lord, there is a lot of meaning, importance and symbolism hidden inside these terms and it’s up to us to seek it out so we can better understand our journey with Him.
As believers, it is extremely important for us to understand how God’s “training” works, so we don’t get confused or unnecessarily upset along our own journey and so we can continually be seeking to go further with Him.
Read MoreBack in January, the Holy Spirit spoke the phrase “Mind the Gap” to me and had me release a word around it. In it, He spoke about how we are in the middle of a “gap” - which is "an undesirable break between situations.” It is the space of time between when God speaks something and when we SEE it manifest in the natural.
He gave this warning right at the end of January because He knew a “gap” was coming and He wanted to warn us ahead of time not to “fall” in the middle of it. Because if we go by our flesh… our “self”…. our natural senses… we will fall. Our thoughts and especially our emotions can (and will) betray us. It’s why the Lord tells us to walk by faith and not by sight.
Read MoreA couple weeks ago, the Holy Spirit whispered to me, "fear is a juggernaut." I knew I had heard that word before, but wasn't exactly sure what it meant, so I looked it up.
A "juggernaut" is a massive, relentless force that attempts to crush everything in its path. It also refers historically to a tradition where people who worshipped the god Krishna would construct massive, tower-like chariots with many wheels and pull them through a crowd of worshippers where many often got crushed beneath them. Which is why the term is also used to describe something that demands blind devotion or merciless sacrifice, and socially, the behavior of everyone jumping on a "bandwagon." It can also refer to a large "machine" or group of people working together or a growing political movement with an association of being crushingly destructive.
There's so much in that phrase and definitions alone, I barely need to elaborate!
Read MoreDo you know the good news of the Gospel?
The real good news?
Surprisingly, many people who consider themselves to be believers or Christians don’t actually know the real good news. At least, not to the extent that Jesus wants them to.
Because the real good news… the real Gospel… is scandalous. It’s outrageous. And in today’s world, it is even offensive to some.
But, that’s what makes it the Gospel - which in and of itself means “nearly too good to be true news.” Except it is… true.
And Jesus wants to make sure you know it.
Read MoreIf you’ve read the last couple posts/words He’s had me release, you’ll know there’s been a build-up to this and can see where they all sort of build upon one another (you can read the “What it Really Looks Like to Follow Jesus” post, “Strong Delusion” word and “What Do You Believe?” posts here.)
But, it wasn’t until now that He really began to put it all together.
As I shared in the post about following Jesus, He showed me how there is a big difference between knowing about Him and knowing Him. And how His Church has gotten caught up in systems, procedures and programs because they don’t know Him. Not really. Not like He wants them to.
Read MoreYesterday morning, the Holy Spirit woke me up talking about the importance of what we BELIEVE. It was an elaboration on the word He had me release the day before about the great delusion and God‘s “judgment” coming as He allowed people to believe the lie.
There are basically two “narratives” to life. Two stories being told. Both in the world at large and in your own personal life. One is what God says and the other is what the enemy says.
Read MoreIf there is one main “theme” I feel the Holy Spirit stressing so strongly right now, not only in my own ministry, but overall… it’s that of God wanting to share His heart with the world. His true heart.
Not just with unbelievers who don’t know Him. But, also with believers who think they know Him.
Over the hundreds of years and throughout the hundreds of generations that have passed, the pure message of the Gospel and the true character of God have gotten lost. The spirit of religion and the lies of man-based doctrine have left believers powerless, confused and with an incorrect picture of their Father in Heaven.
But, now is the time when God is opening closed eyes and freeing closed minds. He is reminding His people who He really is and introducing His true character to those that don’t know Him.
Because the truth is - He is not who we’ve thought He is.
Read MoreYou’ve probably read the parable before about the lost sheep. And how the man leaves the other ninety-nine sheep to go find the one that was lost.
But, this isn’t just a nice story. It’s the epitome of who God is. It’s a representation of the true heart of the Father and the unrelenting love of the Good Shepherd, Jesus.
And I can attest to it because I’ve seen it first-hand time and time again in my own ministry experience.
Read MoreThe other day, Jesus broke my heart.
And it was one of the best things that ever happened to me.
But, let me back up a minute.
It started a couple weeks ago, when He started speaking about me receiving His love. His unconditional love. We’ve been on a long journey, bringing me out of religion, perfectionism and a works-based mentality. He’s taught me about His grace, His sovereignty and His faithfulness.
Read MoreNow, RIGHT NOW, is when many of God’s people are standing in front of a giant. Right now, everything we’ve ever talked about and sang about is being tested. Right now, there is a choice to be made. Do we believe God and His word? Or do we believe what we see and what the world is telling us?
Right now, we have a chance to shine. To stand out. To be SET APART from the world. Right now, we have the opportunity to demonstrate the peace, hope, strength, authority and FREEDOM that come with being in Christ. Not in theory, in REALITY.
Read MoreI didn’t want to write this post or even plan to do so.
I have heard MORE than enough of the word “coronavirus,” between the television, radio and literally every single email in my inbox. And I honestly didn’t want to partake in the hysteria around it.
But, after having a conversation with my friend about it the other day, I knew I needed to transcribe everything I have felt the Holy Spirit saying to me prophetically about it. And as I continue to see emails coming through from churches and ministries that are stopping their gatherings and cancelling their activities, I feel the urgency even more.
Read MoreIn the past few days, I have been watching a sermon series by Pastor Mike McClure, Jr. (PMJ) of Rock City Church called B!G. And the timing on it is definitely not a coincidence.
One of the main things God has been teaching me about recently is believing Him. Not believing in Him… believing Him. Meaning, believe He is who He says He is, believe I am who He says I am and believe He can (and will) do what He says He can (and will) do.
And that’s exactly what PMJ started his sermon with - God wants us to believe Him.
It sounds simple on the surface, but really, it’s something that the majority of us struggle with. Even as believers.
Read MoreThe Lord has been speaking to me about lack and abundance for a long time. A looooong time.
In fact, the poverty/lack mindset is one of the most difficult strongholds He’s had to break me out of. It probably shouldn’t really come as much of a surprise, since it is extremely prevalent among people of all ages, races, careers and income levels (yes, you can be a millionaire and still have a lack mindset).
Not to mention the fact, that I grew up in an environment of “lack.” Not saying that we were poor, because we actually did quite okay for ourselves. I was never without anything I needed (or most times, even wanted) and we lived a comfortable life. But again, you can have a decent level of comfort and still be in a lack mindset.
Read MoreOne of the ways God speaks to me a lot is through music - specifically the lyrics of a song. I like to call it my “Holy Spirit radio.”
Often, He will wake me up first thing in the morning with a song on my mind that speaks exactly into whatever situation is going on in my life at the time. He will do it at other times of the day too, in the middle or prayer or even during my sleep.
It’s one of my favorite ways to hear from Him because it’s like I have my own personal Bumblebee.
So, when He started playing the Ne-Yo song, “Let Me Love You” in my mind the other day, I immediately went to look up the lyrics. I knew some of the ones in the chorus, but not the rest. And when I did… well, let’s just say, the waterworks began.
Read MoreI am so excited and mind-blown right now that I hope I am able to rein my thoughts in to write this post. Oh and by the way, I am also technically homeless at the moment too.
So, how can I be so excited, expectant and full of joy when my physical situation appears to be so bleak?
To answer that completely, let me flash back a few years.
Read MoreI don’t know about you, but I love going on cruises.
Besides getting to see some amazing places and participate in lots of activities on the boat, I especially like the feeling of freedom I get while I’m on a cruise.
First of all, everything is paid for ahead of time, so I don’t even have to carry a purse around if I don’t want to. All I need is my little cruise I.D. card. Then, when I go to eat in the dining room, I can order whatever I want. In fact, I can order however many of whatever I want.
Read MoreEarlier this week, I was watching a video on YouTube and the person who was speaking made a comment about how it was better to approach God with a broken heart then anger.
Although I do agree with that sentiment overall - after all, we are called to have gentle, kind and self-controlled spirits - I don’t agree with it entirely. In fact, I would go as far as to say, there are some times when God wants you to get mad at Him.
Let me explain.
Read More