There is an excitement building in my spirit that things are indeed changing in the spiritual climate over our nation. Faith is rising in the hearts of the people of God as we advance His kingdom. Likewise, our Enemy is fighting back as never before in an effort to immobilise the Church, and one of the main weapons that he is using against us now is the fear of man. I heard these words clearly in my spirit the other day; "The fear of man is masquerading as a peacekeeper!" Many of us who have been in the Church for any length of time would recognise the unwritten rule to just keep the peace. "Don’t create waves! It’s sinful to offend the brethren! And for goodness sake, don’t become radical!" You get the point. We’ve heard this message in many forms, but the truth is that this is a counterfeit when the Lord offers true peace. Personally, this has been a battle I’ve fought for as long as I can remember. It may seem like a paradox to battle at bringing peace, so let me explain. One manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit is peace and there are many verses in the Bible encouraging us to be people of peace. Jesus even mentioned this in the Sermon on the Mount when he said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God." (Matt. 5:9) I recognise that the Lord has given me a measure of grace for people and can see where they are coming from in many instances. This has allowed me to accept many different personalities and types that many may find difficult to get along with. I seem to been placed in many relationships as the "middle man" so to speak and have been used to bring reconciliation to individuals in conflict. When we follow the Prince of Peace we will exhibit the genuine. However, later on in the same chapter, Jesus says, "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn " ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law –a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ (Matt. 10:34-36) At first glance there seems to be a contradiction in Scripture, but we know that God does not change. What He says remains true, so there must be some deeper understanding. We must realise that the result of Christ’s coming will be conflict. Satan has no desire to sit back and watch the territory that he has ruled for so long to be taken away from him. We are in a battle and it’s time to stop fantasising that we will be at ease with our enemies. These are the last days and it has been destined for us to fight until the end! Second Corinthians 10:4 tells us the nature of the weapons we are to use, which are not from this world, but are divine and will literally demolish demonic strongholds. You may think that the term "demonic strongholds" is rather strong language, especially where the Body of Christ is concerned. Rather than closing our eyes to the truth, let’s see what the Bible’s definition of this term really is so that we can be set free. In verse 5 of this same chapter it reads, "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God…" (emphasis mine). Any area that has not been submitted to the lordship of Christ is in opposition to him and this is a stronghold. This word pertains to Christians. Presently, there are those within the Body of Christ who know what the Lord requires, yet are afraid of what others will think of them. Rather than submitting to the Lord and trusting Him to be their Defender, they choose to take control and "keep the peace". This is what the Lord meant when He said that the fear of man is masquerading as a peacekeeper. He knows what is in our hearts better than we do. Do you know how Jesus revealed what was in the hearts of the men in his day? He used offence! I heard a teaching recently that Jesus gave everyone an out. No one was without excuse for not following him. He gave everyone an opportunity to leave and go his or her own way. He had no intention of maintaining the false peace, but took every opportunity to stir things up. His ways have not changed today. Is it any wonder that the Lord is using Todd Bentley to spearhead this outpouring in Lakeland Florida? Just think of it. He certainly doesn’t fit the image of one whom the Lord powerfully moves through. Those who look at the outward appearance will sadly miss out at least for a season. Neither is he the most polished speaker and all the talk about angelic visitations and heavenly experiences make many Christians very nervous. Yet, he is genuine- free from the fear of man and submitted to the Lord. Unfortunately, he will offend many. Things are about to get really messy in the Church. The counterfeit peace is being shaken and will not withstand this move of the Spirit. The Lord is drawing a line and making a distinction between those whom will worship Him and those who will not. This demarcation is happening in the Church right now and will eventually cause true unity to emerge once this process is finished, but it’s not going to be easy. Are you willing to repent for fearing man and submit to the lordship of Christ? He desires humility on all levels so that we can be free from the schemes of the Enemy. Only then will we see what He’s up to- even in the midst of what appears to be chaos.
There is an excitement building in my spirit that things are indeed changing in the spiritual climate over our nation. Faith is rising in the hearts of the people of God as we advance His kingdom. Likewise, our Enemy is fighting back as never before in an effort to immobilise the Church, and one of the main weapons that he is using against us now is the fear of man.
I heard these words clearly in my spirit the other day; "The fear of man is masquerading as a peacekeeper!" Many of us who have been in the Church for any length of time would recognise the unwritten rule to just keep the peace. "Don’t create waves! It’s sinful to offend the brethren! And for goodness sake, don’t become radical!" You get the point. We’ve heard this message in many forms, but the truth is that this is a counterfeit when the Lord offers true peace.
Personally, this has been a battle I’ve fought for as long as I can remember. It may seem like a paradox to battle at bringing peace, so let me explain. One manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit is peace and there are many verses in the Bible encouraging us to be people of peace. Jesus even mentioned this in the Sermon on the Mount when he said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God." (Matt. 5:9) I recognise that the Lord has given me a measure of grace for people and can see where they are coming from in many instances. This has allowed me to accept many different personalities and types that many may find difficult to get along with. I seem to been placed in many relationships as the "middle man" so to speak and have been used to bring reconciliation to individuals in conflict. When we follow the Prince of Peace we will exhibit the genuine.
However, later on in the same chapter, Jesus says, "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn " ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law –a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ (Matt. 10:34-36) At first glance there seems to be a contradiction in Scripture, but we know that God does not change. What He says remains true, so there must be some deeper understanding. We must realise that the result of Christ’s coming will be conflict. Satan has no desire to sit back and watch the territory that he has ruled for so long to be taken away from him. We are in a battle and it’s time to stop fantasising that we will be at ease with our enemies. These are the last days and it has been destined for us to fight until the end!
Second Corinthians 10:4 tells us the nature of the weapons we are to use, which are not from this world, but are divine and will literally demolish demonic strongholds. You may think that the term "demonic strongholds" is rather strong language, especially where the Body of Christ is concerned. Rather than closing our eyes to the truth, let’s see what the Bible’s definition of this term really is so that we can be set free. In verse 5 of this same chapter it reads, "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God…" (emphasis mine). Any area that has not been submitted to the lordship of Christ is in opposition to him and this is a stronghold. This word pertains to Christians.
Presently, there are those within the Body of Christ who know what the Lord requires, yet are afraid of what others will think of them. Rather than submitting to the Lord and trusting Him to be their Defender, they choose to take control and "keep the peace". This is what the Lord meant when He said that the fear of man is masquerading as a peacekeeper. He knows what is in our hearts better than we do.
Do you know how Jesus revealed what was in the hearts of the men in his day? He used offence! I heard a teaching recently that Jesus gave everyone an out. No one was without excuse for not following him. He gave everyone an opportunity to leave and go his or her own way. He had no intention of maintaining the false peace, but took every opportunity to stir things up.
His ways have not changed today. Is it any wonder that the Lord is using Todd Bentley to spearhead this outpouring in Lakeland Florida? Just think of it. He certainly doesn’t fit the image of one whom the Lord powerfully moves through. Those who look at the outward appearance will sadly miss out at least for a season. Neither is he the most polished speaker and all the talk about angelic visitations and heavenly experiences make many Christians very nervous. Yet, he is genuine- free from the fear of man and submitted to the Lord. Unfortunately, he will offend many.
Things are about to get really messy in the Church. The counterfeit peace is being shaken and will not withstand this move of the Spirit. The Lord is drawing a line and making a distinction between those whom will worship Him and those who will not. This demarcation is happening in the Church right now and will eventually cause true unity to emerge once this process is finished, but it’s not going to be easy.
Are you willing to repent for fearing man and submit to the lordship of Christ? He desires humility on all levels so that we can be free from the schemes of the Enemy. Only then will we see what He’s up to- even in the midst of what appears to be chaos.
Feb. 3, 08
Maintain Your Focus
Recently, I was talking to the Lord about seeing things that we’ve battled for in the spirit realm manifest in the natural. To be honest, I was whining more than anything, as we have been waiting for years to see numerous promises fulfilled. You could say that I was just a bit impatient! Thankfully, the Lord gently rebuked me and then shed some light on what He is doing.
Colossians 3:1-2 tells us that we have been called to shift our eyes from what we see in the earthly realm and fix our attention on the spiritual. This has been the Lord’s plan from the start and He has used various means to capture our gaze. We’ve been given a deeper revelation of what Christ has done, seeing ourselves crucified to this world, yet alive in him. He’s spoken prophetic words to confirm the desires that are within us and even given glimpses of what is to come. Yet, many of us remain standing in faith.
This season of training, as brutal as it has been, has been altogether necessary. It has been a time of maturing and making us ready to carry more of His glory. I heard the Lord say that the reason why I had not received many of the promises is because I was not ready to handle them. I would have focussed on the blessing rather than on Him! Ouch!
God doesn’t hold back when He rebukes us, but He doesn’t leave us hopeless either. He allows us the opportunity to repent and then leads us back on the right path again. Has the training been successful in your life? Are you more kingdom-minded than earthly? We have heard and believe that the spiritual realm is more real than what we perceive, so do you see the importance of what has been accomplished in that realm so far? I hope that you do because the Lord is jealous for your attention.
Our relationship with the Lord is really of utmost importance and if we find intimacy with Him difficult now it will not get easier in the future. One reason for this is because we are entering a season of increased signs and wonders. Heaven is literally invading earth! I have seen pictures of angels flying over congregations and heard of glory dust covering people as they worship and am amazed! We are about to receive answers to prayers and receive the things that we have faithfully believed for. Yet, I hear the Spirit say, "Maintain your focus!" We can be so easily tempted to forget to give God the glory when we are wrapped up in His blessings.
Focussing on Christ will also be the only thing that keeps us from falling prey to Satan’s schemes. We have been told in the Word that in the last days there will be a great deception that will attempt to overtake even the elect. The Lord has promised to cut short the days because the deception will be so great. (Matt. 24) The Enemy can only produce a counterfeit of the genuine; so get to know the Real Thing so intimately that there will be no room for error.
Lastly, Satan is coming against the Church as never before and we must be prepared for his attacks. Christ warned us that we would share in his sufferings in order to partake in his glory. (Rom. 8:17) Have you ever listed all the things that he suffered while on earth? We are not to be surprised at the things that we will suffer for Christ, so we must aquaint ourselves with the following. Christ was thought to be out of his mind by his own family, offended by his hometown, questioned by John’s disciples of why he did not fast, doubted by John the Baptist while imprisoned, betrayed by one of his disciples, and denied three times by Peter. Then there was the religious community who accused him of blasphemy for forgiving sins, driving out demons by the power of Beelzebub (the prince of demons or Satan himself), breaking the law by eating on the Sabbath, breaking tradition by not washing his hands, and being a friend of "sinners". He was mocked by Roman soldiers, falsely accused in his trial, and insulted even by the robbers who were crucified with him. Then, of course, he died the most gruelling death that even Mel Gibson could not portray accurately.
If we are truly following Jesus, we are going to come up against some opposition. A friend of mine recently reminded me that the worst thing that humanity could ever suffer is eternal life separated from the Lord, yet we have already been given eternal life! We can always find reason to celebrate, even in the midst of suffering, if we maintain our focus.
The Unsheathed Sword
Greetings and Happy New Year to you all! Are you sensing the same excitement that I am about this upcoming year? I am agreeing with many prophetic voices that now is the time to posess our promises. Personally, this blog is the fulfilment of words spoken over my life many years ago. I’ve had a love for God’s Word and a desire to teach it since childhood and now the Lord has allowed me this outlet. His ways are so much higher than ours are, so watch and see what He is about to do in the upcoming months as you rest in Him.
Last year, I had a vision of a warrior wielding a sword. What looked so strange was that the sword was only partially out of its casing. Then I felt the Lord say that this is how many in His Body had been using the Word of God for years, but He was going to unsheath it once again. I inquired what the sheaths represent and have found several interpretations, though there may be others.
One way in which we have covered the sword is simply by neglect. 2 Timothy 3:16 reads, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." Many Christians have received an anemic version of the Bible being taught in churches and have not been diligent to search the Word for themselves. Some passages are simply too difficult to understand, so rather than asking the Holy Spirit for further revelation, it’s been easier to stick to the verses that we know. Now the Lord is saying that He is releasing a greater and fuller understanding to equip the Body for the days ahead.
We’ve also become selective in the kind of word that we want to hear, choosing words of blessing to build our faith over harsher words that challenge our faith. It’s true that we need to be reminded of the Lord’s faithfulness by studying stories of how He came through for His People, but what of the passages when God doesn’t deliver? We focus so much on the blessings, but what are we to learn when we suffer? Both are necessary in our lives for our strengthening and effectiveness to minister, otherwise we will fall apart at the first sign of trial. We are to be fully alive with eyes wide open in the midst of a fallen world. This involves the ability to both rejoice and weep when circumstances arise in our lives and in the lives of those around us.
Finally, we have erred in our approach to studying the Word, either coming from an intellectual or merely emotional stance. There are so many aspects of God’s character, yet we tend to focus on one. For instance, I love the mind of God and get excited when He invades my intellect and things make sense. For years, this knowledge was enough for me, but I have been challenged to know His heart as well. God invades our emotions and we need to see His Word challenging us to enter into a life of intimacy. We need to experience manifestations of His Presence just as much as we need knowledge of Him. Many times throughout Scripture, the word "know" has the connotation of the deep intimacy that exists between a husband and wife. There is no true knowledge without experiencing a love relationship.
So, this unsheathing of the sword seems like a difficult task and it’s true that we cannot do it on our own. Thankfully, we have a Helper! Jesus promises in John 16:13-14, "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you." Jesus is the Word made flesh and it is with pleasure that the Holy Spirit reveals him to us as we submit to His leading. It’s really that simple.
Would you take just a moment to submit to the Holy Spirit’s leading as you study His Word this year? There is a special time of grace being offered to better equip ourselves for the difficulties that await us in the near future. We can enter the next season with supernatural strength and power to effectively minister to the needs of the world around us if we do.
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