Thursday, August 8, 2019

The Love Of God-The Last Great Awakening



The LORD is speaking to His people who have an ear to hear the message of  The Wisdom of His Love. There is such wisdom in The Love of God that all the powers of hell can not overcome it. The devil can not even comprehend it. The fact that God would so greatly love mankind, sinful, rebellious, fallen mankind is something that confounds and destroys the work of The Kingdom of Darkness.



John 1:1-5  (NLT)

1 In the beginning the Word already existed.
    The Word was with God, and the Word was God.

He existed in the beginning with God.
God created everything through him,
    and nothing was created except through him.
The Word gave life to everything that was created,
    and his life brought light to everyone.
The light shines in the darkness,
    and the darkness can never extinguish it.



 The Bible says that Love Conquers ALL. John 3:16 says That God so LOVED THE World that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever would believe in Him would have everlasting life. We see in the Book of 1 Corinthians that although a man can be endowed with every gift and show mighty signs and wonders to the awe of those watching, without Gods Love working in and through them, they are nothing. In Gods eyes without Love all acts of power are only self-serving and are worthy of no rewards.

1 Corinthians 13  (NKJV)


13 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.


We have only had a small taste of The Love of God. We have only allowed ourselves to be vulnerable enough to stay comfortable, open enough to feel the pain others with pity,but have fallen short of allowing The Compassion of Christ to flow freely. However, behind those walls we have set up in our hearts and minds there is a Divine Law that overcomes every other law. There is a Divine Wisdom that can not be challenged in any productive way by all the powers of darkness. There is an Eternal Power available to release a compassion that can reach into this fallen world and demonstrate The Glory Of Gods Kingdom. 

The Final Great Awakening is before us. There are mighty good works and miracles that The Lord has prepared for us to walk in and perform in His Name. Will we reach into the dark places with His Love through actions and plans that will bring blessing to the masses? Or will we walk away like The Rich Man after Jesus told him the cost of following Him?


Luke 4:16-19

When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’

Matthew 14:13-21 (NKJV)

13 When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities. 14 And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. 15 When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food.”

16 But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
17 And they said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.”
18 He said, “Bring them here to Me.” 19 Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. 20 So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained. 21 Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.



Paul cried out daily that The Church would receive a super natural revelation of The Fullness of The Love of Christ and The Knowledge of The Will of God. These prayers of Paul are inseparable. We can not have a revelation of Gods Will and Knowledge without having a full revelation of The Fullness of His Love through Christ. Any revelation of the knowledge of Gods will is incomplete with out the understanding of the full breadth, width and height of The Love of Christ. In turn any time we attempt to interpret what Gods will is for our lives, our church, our ministry or our community without the revelation of The Love of Christ, our interpretation will be lacking and the impact of His Glory dimmed.


Ephesians 3:14-19 (NKJV)

14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father  of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.


1 John 4  (NKJV)

1. Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

Knowing God Through Love

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

Seeing God Through Love

12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

The Consummation of Love

17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 19 We love Him because He first loved us.

Obedience by Faith

20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.



Pastor A.R Bernard spoke recently at the church I attend, I have link ed the message below. It is worth taking the time to really listen to the message. He articulates the truth of how incredible it is to be made in the image of God in a way I have never heard before.

When we see others as being made in Gods Image we can understand the scripture that tells us to love one another even as Christ Loves us. There is so much more I want to say, but I think Pastor Bernard's message, along with my thoughts and scriptures I shared here will be sufficient to give those who have an ear to hear and eyes to see a revelation of what The Lord is speaking to His Entire Church Worldwide.



Luke 14:12-14

He said also to the one who had invited him, ‘When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.’


Luke 10:25-37  (NRSV)


25  Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said,“what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

26 He said to him,“What is written in the law? What do you read there?” 

27  He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” 

28  And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.”

29  But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30  Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. 

 31  Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 

 32  So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33  But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. 34  He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 

 35  The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ 36  Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” 37  He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and
do likewise.”




Matthew 25:31-46  (NLT)


31  “But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit
upon his glorious throne. 32  All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33  He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.

34  “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 35  For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home.

36  I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’

37  “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38  Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 

39  When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

40  “And the King will say,‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my
brothers and sisters,you were doing it to me!’

41  “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. 42  For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. 43  I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’

44  “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’

45  “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my
brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’

46  “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”









Friday, April 26, 2019

Prayer That Brings Others Into Jesus Midst- A Ministry Of Prayer



 This post has been stirring in my heart for several days. My spirit is bursting with expectancy and faith concerning what The Lord is showing me. I wasn't sure what to title this, however I think I landed on a good one that explains the core of what is in my heart.

 As you read the verses below, take time to savor them. Allow me to guide you a bit. Allow the suggestions I make below set your thoughts as you engage these two very powerful stories.

1. Read these verses like it is the first time
2. Read them as demonstration of a Ministry Of Prayer & Reconciliation
3. Read them as The Friends, Jews & Centurion being the central Characters
4. See Jesus Ministry as it is now- Through His Church

I will continue my thoughts below the verses. We are called to be Ministers of Reconciliation. We can intercede and supplicate on behalf of others in order to bring them into the Presence Of Jesus, where there is Power Present to Heal them.






Luke 5:17-26 (NKJV)

17 Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them. 18 Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him. 19 And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus.
20 When He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”
21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts? 23 Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk’? 24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”
25 Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. 26 And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen strange things today!”


Luke 7:1-10  (NKJV)


1 Now when He concluded all His sayings in the hearing of the people, He entered Capernaum. And a certain centurion’s servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die. So when he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to Him, pleading with Him to come and heal his servant. 
 4 And when they came to Jesus, they begged Him earnestly, saying that the one for whom He should do this was deserving, “for he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue.”
Then Jesus went with them. And when He was already not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying to Him, “Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof. Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to You. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.
When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, “I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!” 10 And those who were sent, returning to the house, found the servant well who had been sick.


 I pray The Lord stirred your heart for the great ministry He has given us. He has called us to be Ministers of Reconciliation. He has called us to enter into the world and lead others out of darkness and into His presence. One way He does that is through The Ministry of Prayer and Intercession.  I would venture to say the primary way He has given us to bring others into His presence is through The Ministry of Prayer in one form or another

 Sometimes we miss the glorious responsibility and call it is to carry others into His Presence. We forget verses like these and others that show others using their faith, care and love for another to bring the crippled and hurting one into the midst of Christ where there is always power to heal and save.

 The friends that lowered the crippled man into Peters house would not be stopped, they fervently and boldly tore the roof off to lower their friend into the midst of Christ. And before all present Jesus showed Himself as Lord. He not only used this event to forgive and heal this man, but to silence his enemies and bring Glory to God.

 In the story of the Centurion we see two different Ministries of Prayer in action. We see the Jews that were sent by The Centurion going to Jesus and making a case to him about how The Centurion was kind and generous to them and the synagogue. They knew Jesus would honor them as Jews and The House of God. They knew The Centurion didn't have a relationship with Jehovah so they made a case for him as a friend to the Jews. 

 They interceded on behalf of The Centurion, because they knew he loved his servant. Don't miss that part of the story, although the sick man was a servant or slave, he was loved by The Centurion enough for The Centurion to send the Jews to Jesus on his behalf. 

  Once The Centurion was in the presence of Jesus the intersession assignment of the Jews was finished. They interceded on behalf of The Centurion, now that The Centurion is in the Presence of Jesus, he begins his ministry of Prayer for his servant.

 He is open and honest with Jesus. Unlike the Jews, he doesn't offer anything as a reason why Jesus should heal his servant. He is humble, he knows he doesn't have anything to offer Jesus, he honors The Lords authority. He bases his faith on what He knows of the authority of The Jewish Messiah, and he is rewarded for it.

 The Ministry of Prayer is threaded all through The Word, both Old and New Testaments. There is nothing The Lord does apart from some type of prayer that was either prayed in the past, prayed in the present or that will be prayed in the future on earth. Not only that, consider this. The Ministry of Jesus for the last 2000 years has been The Ministry of Prayer & Intercession for The Church to The FATHER.

 Let these truths settle in your heart. If The Ministry of Prayer and Intercession has been elevated to The Throne of Christ and continues until all His enemies are made His Footstool, how should we see Prayer and The Ministry of Prayer?  What glory will we see when we fully enter into prayer that brings the multitudes into the midst of Jesus where there is power to heal? I want to end with one last story from scripture.

Acts 4:29-31 (NLT)


 29 And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. 30 Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
 31 After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness.











Wednesday, October 31, 2018

Mankind Is Looking For A Safe Place







I want to start this post by saying that this message is so deep within  my heart right now. It comes from a place where deep roots run. I know there is no way I can express the anointing and sense of importance that is pressing on my spirit. This is Part 1. A message to The Body of Christ. Part 2......stay tuned!

 In the heart of every angry person, every lonely person, every person in fear, in depression, in anxiety, in addiction is a longing for true love and a place of safety. Mankind will risk pain,disease and death to travel great and treacherous distances to another country to seek out that place of safety they so desire.

 Even the strongest man , has in his heart , a young boy looking for a safe place. In the soul of every woman, no matter how virtuous, or risque she may seem , is a little girl longing for a safe place in a loving fathers arms.

They may be blinded to it. They may have buried it and covered it with so many things, but the  light of Gods Creative Power still abides in all that we call life, including fallen mankind. Let me "say" that again in a different way.

 Mankind, and the enemy of mankind, has built fortresses of the soul that they grasp, and run to in order to make themselves feel safe. We have created great avenues of sin, entertainment, violence, false religion, lust, wantonness, desire, wealth, the list goes on. We have separated into cultures and sub cultures. We have banded together in tribes and nations.

 From the tribes of the jungles around the world, to the nations of the world, to the terrorist organizations, to inner city street gangs,to outlaw biker gangs, all are mankind's way of being drawn to a place they feel safety and love, no matter how perverted by sin it may be.

 There are so many things that mankind has built in order to create a sense of safety, but the  Light of Gods Creative Power still abides in all that we call life, including fallen mankind, and that cry will only be satisfied by The One that  The Light is calling out to. Jesus, The Lord of All Creation. All of creation is crying out for redemption, even the rocks have a silent cry to see The King Of Kings Return.

 The Lord is about to reach into all the cultures and sub cultures of mankind to call out His Elect. They will feel like a baby eagle being rustled out of their nest, pushed out of their place of safety. The Church must be ready to receive them, to comfort them, to teach them to fly.

We have not been that place of safety, in the way Jesus intended, for the last 2000 years. We haven't been the place where the broken can come. We haven't been the place where the lost can find their way to Their Lord. We to often have rejected at the odd, giggled at the weak, and whispered about the prodigals and broken.

 Not only will we need to learn to see again, we will need to learn to disciple again. The Lord will bless those who yield to His Will concerning what He is about to do, and resist those who will not.

 The Gospel, His Gospel, His Word, His Name, His Cross and His Blood. The message will be clear. Come out from among the lost. Come out from among the wandering. Come out all ye who are burden and heavy laden. Come to safety In Christ and in His Church.

 Prophets will rise up and declare things that will draw a line between those Shepherds who are His Shepherds and those who are Hirelings that care nothing for the lost sheep. Jesus is calling up Disciples and Apostles, Pastors and Teachers that will embrace those The Lords sends through the Powerful and Anointed preaching of The Evangelist.

 Every Church must have leaders that embrace all that are called out of the false religions, the false high places, sinful places, strange places and dark places. The protocol driven, business driven church model will not be able to yield to The Lords Will. They will not have leaders in place and on staff that can freely embrace and disciple those who are wild in The Lord. They will scoff at "The Sons Of Thunder" and push out the young open mouthed Peter that hasn't learned to hold his word yet.

 The Lord is calling His Church to be His Church. Not Pastor John Doe's Church, Not Bishop Subas Church. He calls His Disciples. He calls His Apostles, Prophets, Evangelist , Pastors and Teachers.
He says Himself in His Word that He doesn't call many men that are much, he calls the base, the humble, the unseen. Much different than what most Churches do today. This will change by The Lords hands.

 Open your heart to see what is behind all the anger and frustration we see in the world. Feel the fear of the child before he is seduced by the safety of a street gang. See the hurt of the woman that gives her body away, or stays trapped in abuse, because she is so afraid to be alone and dearly wants to be loved. Let your spirit enter into the hope of safety that drive the migrants to risk their lives to come to America. Look beyond the sin, the anger, the pain, the illness and the circumstances. The Lord is calling them in. Woe to the one, or The Church who rejects His Lost ones.



The Walls

From inside the walls and outside the walls
There is raising up a shout
The voice of The LORDS Redeemed
Shouting let the captives out!
From inside the walls and outside the walls
A song is being sung
Gods chosen, singing in The Spirit
Singing The Time of freedom has come!
From inside the walls and outside the walls
The Word is being declared
Gods kings and priest on the earth
Taking authority, over the prince of the air
From inside the walls and outside the walls
Victory is being revealed
The elect of The LORD
HAVE BEEN CHOSEN,SAVED AND SEALED!

FROM INSIDE THE WALLS AND OUTSIDE THE WALLS
A NEW NATION HAS BEEN BIRTHED
AND HER CITIZENS ARE SHOUTING
JESUS IS LORD OVER ALL THE EARTH!




When They Come

When they come hungry
We will give them food
When they come thirsty
We will give them drink
When they come naked
We will cover them,
With The Love Of Jesus
When they come broken,
We will fix their hearts
When they come imprisoned
We will set them free
When they come angry
We will give them peace
With The Love Of Jesus
When they come weak
We will tell them their strong
When them come poor
We will we will show them they are rich
When they come in darkness
We will show them the light
With the Love Of Jesus




COME OUT!!

From the North, South,East and West
The LORD is calling out to His Elect…
Come out,Come out, from among the lost,
Come out, Come out, and count the cost.
There is a great shout, coming from above….
The SPIRIT of The Lord…crying out to His beloved…
Come out, Come out, from the worlds of men,
Come out, Come out, and Be Born Again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There is a song coming straight from The throne…
The voice of a Father, calling His wandering ones home…
Come out, come out,from the darkness your in
Come out , come out, and be cleansed from your sin
Let our hearts be, one with The Lord
Let our voices cry out what our spirits have heard….
Come out, Come out from among the lost
Come out, Come out, and count the cost
Come out, Come out, from the worlds of men,
Come out, Come out, and be Born Again
Come out, Come out, from the darkness your in
Come out,Come out and be cleansed from your sin
COME ALL THAT WILL,
AND RECEIVE THE NEW BIRTH!!
COME ALL THAT WILL,
THE FATHER IS WAITING FOR THE PRECIOUS FRUIT OF THE EARTH!!!!!





Wednesday, October 10, 2018

The Great Battle For Your Own Soul






 If our faith is anchored to natural things, we will be bound to The Land and we will never cast out into The Deep. The Word says that in order to SEE The Kingdom of Heaven a person MUST be Born Again. Scripture makes it clear that the natural man can not perceive Spiritual things. 

 The Lord instructs us to walk by FAITH and NOT by Sight. We are to trust in Him alone. Not man, not power, not riches, not armies, not our feelings, not even our own eyes and senses. He alone is our strong tower. He alone is our place of safety and comfort.

What are some of the the labels The Lord gave to His Children who turned from Him to find comfort in other things. How did He see those that found comfort in the ways and in the arms of The World and His Enemy.

Adulterer
Whore-monger
Idol Worshiper
Harlot
Faithless
Rebellious

What are some of the actions that led to God labeling His Children, that He loved dearly, with such harsh names? What steps did they take that caused them to move from a place of His Blessing to His Judgment?


They Saw Another Way
They Heard Another Way
They Turned Another Way
They Ignored God
The Blamed God
They Dishonored God
They Complained About God


 Let me explain more in depth. All the elements of what I mentioned above are attributes and side effects of a soul that is bound to natural things. Souls that have turned from Faith in God to find another way to meet needs and desires. They have turned their attention to things of the earth and the ways of pleasure. Just like in The Garden they trusted in what they could see, hear and feel instead of Gods Word. 

 In the Old Testament their Idols were all represented as false gods they worshiped, nations they turned to and pagan ways they embraced. However even then God made it clear the issue was their Adulterous heart and Idolatrous Souls. Very little was revealed about the issues of their souls, God exposed the issues of their souls through His description of their actions and words.

They just could not hold true and faithful to a God they couldn't see and feel. Their souls longed after the things of the world and the pleasures of the nations. The longings of their own souls  were The Idols that they just could not tear down. Their own desires became a strong fortress that even God would not tear down for them.

God had a plan to Give man a new heart, a new spirit and a new set of eyes. He accomplished all this in Christ. He gave us all things new. Made us new creatures in Christ. Yet, the soul is one aspect of our being that He will not invade, and that He can not take control of. Our souls and our bodies are ours alone to yield or to not yield. 

After 2000+ years of The Church Age it is clear that the ancient strongholds of mans soul are as in tact as ever, as well guarded as ever, and as deceitful and open to deceit as ever. Knowledge of God does not automatically conquer the dark places. "Faith" in God doesn't mean that these strongholds are not taking a terrible toll in our lives and in The Church.



  The Word says that a double minded man is unstable in all his ways. That he can not receive from God because he is tossed to and fro. He believes with all his heart and mind, yet when circumstances and natural things arise that cause him to be frightened,angry, hurt or uncertain, he turns from God and His Word and finds safety in natural things, the pleasures of the flesh, or even "Spiritual" things that allows him to fall back out of the battle without a sense of guilt. 


 Some of these strongholds of the soul are unassuming. They can be quickly dealt with, yielded and surrendered willingly to The Lord. However even these seemingly benign guarded places of the soul can rob a believer of great blessing, and worse rob the Church of her Authority and Power.

Unchecked,  these "minor" strongholds and safe places we create in our souls will begin to settle as an ancient foundation in us. They will grow on their own and effect us in ways we are blind to and ignorant to. Unlike the next type of strongholds I will expose, these allow a believer or minister to flourish and thrive, while quietly and secretly , the enemy and our own survival instinct, build a powerful hindrance that can lead to a great stumble and fall.

They can morph into a very dark, very damaging fortress within us that steal our destiny and joy.

When hard tests of faith come, or certain test of the soul come, the soul that has a hidden tower of safety apart from God, will always choose that well traveled track, offer sacrifices of spiritual things in the moat around their soul, enter through the gates and walls that they have always found safety in and abide in their well fortified tower.

They are bound to ever learning, ever praying, but never attaining all The The Lord has for them. Never coming to the full knowledge of The Truth.

No matter how much knowledge is obtained, no matter how many victories are won, no matter how spiritual we may seem, if our souls have become an Idol before God, we will always be limited in what He is able to do for us and through us. The Church,and The World we are supposed to reach, suffer greatly for that.

I want to make a statement here that will cause some to pause and hear, and some to reject it and retreat back to their safe place.

 I believe by observation, by how The Word describes what The Church should be doing and demonstrating, and by The Spirit, that a vast majority of believers, including yours truly, have some part of their soul, or a large part of their soul, mostly unknown to them, that is actually acting as an Idol before The Lord. Their soul has become an offence to Faith and Truth.


 He wants us FREE!
HE WANTS YOU FREE!

I will end this blog with this. What is an idol? If The Lord is having you face some hard things in your soul and you seem to avoid the battle every time, only to face it again, isn't whatever you are turning to the same as when His People turned from Him to idols?

He cares for you. He cares for your soul. But, apart from Him, "soul care" can become a place where we avoid anything painful in order to find comfort, when The Lord may be bringing you to that hard place, over and over, until you face your own soul, and yield even those scary,dark, painful places to Him. 

 Are you ready? I am so ready. I am so tired of facing the same battle over and over, just to turn away, give up, camp out,  or pretend I didn't know better, only to face the battle all over again. It took a long time to be able to hear The Lord tell me:

                                         "Your own soul is an Idol Before me"

I cant possible explain to you all that is packed into the words The Lord spoke to me. The battle is very real now, but, not like before. I know I can win. With His help , I can see into my own soul now. This goes beyond dying to self. It is hard. It is tough to face your own weaknesses and distrust in God. It is painful to admit you are angry with God, disappointed in God, even in some ways blaming God for all that is wrong and all that has hurt. Oh maybe not in your mind or on the surface, but deeply hidden, where only He can see, those whispers lay in darkness. 

Let Him in. Yield fully. Where there has not been full victory , where we are promised victory, go deeper and face that thing until victory is secure. No matter what you feel, see, hear, battle on until the towers are torn down and you stand in TRIUMPH!

Get ready! The Battle Is The Lords!!!!