I haven’t been able to focus much on writing lately. It seems like the hours slip through my fingers like sand in an hourglass. I’ve been going a million miles per hour and the Lord keeps reminding me to slow down. This time it’s by being forced to be home with a sick lil Nash man. Leah is doing her homeschool and I’ve decided that I’m not going to pressure myself to work from home today. My children need me refreshed and calm with a dash of patience and understanding. They don’t need me ignoring them to make phone calls and trying to get things done that in the long run won’t matter much anyway.
Deuteronomy 4:9 9 Only give heed to yourself and keep your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen and they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your sons and your grandsons.
I’m going to be preaching to myself here but I thought that it might help to write it out. I’ve had some visions recently but the same message has come through in all of them. You have to do the things! Free will can be a giant pain in the rear when it comes to doing the will of the Lord. It won’t always be easy, but it will be worth it.
Proverbs 13:14 The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life,To turn aside from the snares of death.
I had mentioned in an earlier video about the vision that I had in church on Sunday. As we were worshiping, I began to see strands of oil flowing down over the congregation. It reminded me of those old oil lamps that people used to have in their homes. There would be a scene in the middle and strands all around the outside that the oil would flow down in a constant pattern. They almost looked like rain droplets flowing down but they were this golden honey color. What I noticed most was the difference in the volume. Normally The strands in those oil lamps all flow at the same pace. This was different. Some strands were at a constant flow, some were a trickle, some were a droplet here or there and some were flowing so freely that you couldn’t make out the droplets, you could only see a constant flow of golden oil coming down.
I asked the Lord for clarification on this and the impression He put on my heart was that the flow of the oil is directly related to how open people are to submitting to the Holy Spirit. Our relationship with the Lord and the way the Holy Spirit operates in our own daily lives is directly related to the time we spend with the Lord in prayer, the time we spend reading the word, and how submissive we are to His will in our lives.
Psalms 45:7 - Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
Jude 20-21 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.
The second part of that vision came a few moments later during the sermon. I saw Angels flood the sanctuary. They were carrying swords for battle. They were looking for warriors ready to brandish these swords but I could tell by the looks on their faces that they were disappointed. They went from standing on the ground ready to hand out swords to those willing to fight in the Lords army, to being up near the ceiling as if they were leaving. I asked the Lord what was happening and the Lord put it on my heart that many were not ready for battle. That they could drop those swords right on peoples heads from their positions on the ceiling and most would never bat an eye or even realize what was happening; let alone be able to pick them up for battle and yield them effectively. Then they left, just as swiftly as they came in.
Luke 14:31 31 Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand?
Joel 3:9 Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare a war; rouse the mighty men! Let all the soldiers draw near, let them come
The common thread to these visions is directly related to the effort that we in the flesh are willing to put in. The Lord will pour out His spirit on each and every one of us. However, it’s up to our commitment, our time with the Lord and our level of submission to grow our individual relationship in Christ. He can pour it out, He can hand you the sword, but it up to us to take our flesh and to condition our free will to be the same as the will of the Father. You have to put in the effort.
Ephesians 6:17-18 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints
Colossians 3:23-24 23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; 24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
I was also blessed to be part of a meeting last night for our upcoming mission trip to Imperial Beach California, San Diego Ca and Tijuana Mexico. I love seeing everyone and spending time with such a wonderful group of people. I am beyond blessed to call them my friends and family in Christ. As the meeting came to a close, Pastor Shawn was praying over us and over our trip. I began to see golden glitter all through the air. It reminded me of static on a tv screen. You could see what was going on, but the focus was on that golden sparkle. I wasn’t sure what to think of it. As my focus shifted, I began to see angels coming down with these elegant white robes. They were all positioned up toward the stage. It reminded me of the way cartoon characters would have a hundred of the same outfit lined up in their closet. They were beautiful. What I noticed, was that the angels brought them and sort of hung them there for us. They didn’t come and put them on our shoulders. They didn’t dress us up and pat us on the back to send us out. They simply hung them there and departed. They’re for us, but it is up to each and every one of us to walk over there and put them on.
Revelation 7:13-17 13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” 14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 “Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. 16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
Isaiah 61:10-11 10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11 For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations.
Many want to consider Christianity as believing in Jesus as the son of the Lord, going to church on Sundays, living in sin, praying for forgiveness and one day hoping that you’ll get into Heaven thanks to the Lords Grace. We are stuck in this idea of passive Christianity. As if believing in Jesus is as simple as believing that your car will start when you turn the key. That there is no effort needed and that once we accept Jesus into our hearts everything will be amazing for the rest of our lives.
We need to get back to Biblical Christianity. We need to grow in the understanding that Church isn’t an hour on Sundays but that WE ARE THE CHURCH. We need to disciple others, we need to educate and equip others. We need to preach death to the flesh, consecration and sanctification. These aren’t popular church sermons these days. We need to stop praying for an audience and start praying for disciples to rise up. We need to stop playing nice just to have more kids come to our playground. It’s time to red rover the flesh.
The Lord is speaking, the Lord is showing, the Lord is transforming, healing and delivering; but it’s up to us to put in the effort, to repent and turn from wickedness. We need to stop preaching equality and preach righteousness through sanctification. We need to fast and to pray and to live the word. We need to be the light that we preach about.
2 Peter 1
1 Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: 2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. 5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, 6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, 7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; 11 for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.
12 Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you. 13 I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder, 14 knowing that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent, as also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 15 And I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you will be able to call these things to mind.
Eyewitnesses
16 For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased”— 18 and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.
19 So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. 20 But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, 21 for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
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