Prophetic Teaching by Glenice Mills
My previous word dealt with our politicians hoodwinking us with what appears as a Godly alliance. The sad fact is, religion also hoodwinks us into believing something is true, when on further searching out, we find what we thought was truth is in fact distorted lies. Religion has literally ‘pulled the wool over our eyes’. We have been duped!
Scripture has a lot to say about falsehood. If we take the picture of a hood, a piece of head covering that covers our head, we see we can also have a spiritual hood. This hood causes us to become deceived, thus blinding and stopping us from hearing truth. Sadly there are many doctrines that have been twisted and distorted and led the body of Christ off track. We are in a time of truth being restored. However for truth to be restored we must first have the lies exposed. Sadly it is a result of the mixture of man’s misunderstanding because of fear and compromise, and the enemy’s lies, blinding and deceiving God’s people. When we hear something said or done enough times we tend to believe it and walk in it until it becomes a way of living and being. It becomes enmeshed in the fabric of society, and in the fibre of our being. This is how culture takes root with its doctrines, rules and regulations and patterns of behaviour.
This brings deception, and a false hood covers our thinking that become mindsets. It is outworked in our day to day attitudes and behaviours. It is subtle. So what is falsehood? Falsehood is spoken of in two attributes in Scripture: man’s deceptive speech and his deceptive character.
Job 31:4-6
Does He not see my ways,
And count all my steps?
“If I have walked with falsehood,
Or if my foot has hastened to deceit,
Let me be weighed on honest scales,
That God may know my integrity.”
This talks about how we can walk with honesty and integrity, or falsely, deceiving ourselves by choosing to go down wrong paths.
Ephesians 4:25
Therefore, putting away lying (falsehood), “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbour,” for we are members of one another.
We are told to put away falsehood as we are each accountable one to another with what we say. Instead of speaking and coming in agreement with lies we are told to speak truth. Truth is about being honest with one another, even if it hurts or makes us feel uncomfortable. When lies are spoken (preached), falsehood takes root. I feel to speak about one important area where deception has put a false hood on women. Women have come under a ‘Christian culture’ that has deceived and bound women because of false doctrine.
The truth is, women have been hoodwinked into believing some of the greatest lies of the enemy, and the church through time has happily endorsed it. The time for these lies to be exposed is now! The Lord is raising up a mighty army of men and women ready to go into battle against the enemy. However this cannot happen until the lies that both men and women have been entrapped in are truly exposed. That is the battle!
My question at this time is: Why is it that when Eve sinned, her sin was somehow deemed as more evil than Adam’s? Why are women still being subjected to the lie that we are to blame for Adam’s sin? Why do we still have to carry the yoke of this lie to this day even though Jesus took all sins and curses on the cross at Calvary? Why is it still being preached in the church that Eve caused Adam to sin. That lie is being outworked to this day by a thinking and being that women should be treated as inferior beings. They are held back in ‘safe’ positions in the church so they do not cause ‘man to sin‘. The tragedy of this is, it is a lie, that men have also bought into and they too carry the guilt of this. Again Jesus took all our sin on the cross: that is, both men and women’s sin. Have we women not also been forgiven too? I think so!!!
Sadly this ungodly burden on women has kept them ‘in their place’ so when any women appear to show leadership qualities, they are often quickly squashed, and sent back to kitchen duties or looking after the Sunday School. They are often seen as trouble makers and often accused of being Jezebels. In fact this oppressive hood is a ‘Christian burqa’ (as well described by Lynne), though not often seen in the natural (though head covering is still worn in some Christian sects), but is seen in the spirit of most women. It is not obvious, but it is there!
It is not a shameful thing to be a woman!!! The truth is we carry a unique aspect of the Father Heart of God. The Father needs both male and female in His body of believers, because, together we are a full expression of Him.
Christianity has a culture, and that which is not by the Spirit of the Lord, must be confronted in these days and time. There are ones God is calling to come forth, both males and females, because there is much to do. Speaking and bringing truth is vital in these days. Women and the church is one area where Scripture has been twisted to compromise truth, and there are many more areas.
We need to come back to the truth of God’s Word. When we read Scripture it is very clear what the Lord is saying. Sadly religion only sees what it wants to see, and so long as it is convenient for those in positions of authority to not want to rock the boat, and upset the status quo, things won’t change. However things will change if a few bold, courageous ones, both male and female will challenge these falsehoods.
Genesis 1:27
So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
This verse lays out clearly that we are all created in God’s image and as we know He was well pleased with what He had made.
As we see in Genesis chapter 2 God created Adam who walked in a close, intimate relationship with Father God. Eve was not made at this time, but as we see the creation of woman was always in God’s plan seen in the above verse.
Genesis 2:16,17
And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
As we see Eve was not there when Adam received this command - note the word command. Not an instruction but a command! Eve had not yet been created, therefore it was up to Adam to make God’s command known to Eve. This he did not do well if at all, as there was clearly some miscommunication along the way that allowed Eve to be lured by the serpent. My question at this point is: why is it therefore more acceptable for Adam to have ‘blown it’ by not being clear with his instruction with Eve, than it is so unacceptable when Eve became deceived by the serpent? There appears a discrepancy here as to the level of ‘blame’ attributed to each. The truth is they were both in error and they were both responsible for their choices. However the greatest truth is the curse here in the Garden of Eden was taken by Yeshua, who shed His blood for our sins so we could come into freedom. This word is about freedom for you, whether you are a male or a female, we have all been under the deceptive ‘hood’ of these lies of the enemy. We are told to put off falsehood, and this is one area of many that we can all come into a greater revelation of the truth: His truth!
I am only scratching the surface of a very profound truth that has insidiously wound itself around both men and women, and is outworked in the subtle ways we treat one another, and the cultural doctrines that the church has spoken, and the resulting behaviours that have kept us all in bondage. We all have varying degrees of ‘indoctrination’ depending on our Christian heritage, upbringing, and what was modelled to us by our parents, culture and church teachings.
The way of deception is so secretive and hidden, because that is what deception is.
The only one who can bring you and I into greater truth is the Holy Spirit.
He wants us all to come out from under these lies and deception. It is only by His healing power that the ‘false hood’ can be removed and the eyes of our hearts be opened so greater revelation and understanding can come. All the Lord is looking for is a willing heart for Him to expose these lies. It is a process, and it is line upon line and precept upon precept as we come out from under this hood and into who He created us to be.
Revelation 22:14,15
Blessed are those who do His commandment, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.
But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices lies. (Falsehood, untruth, error, deception, cheating.) (Amplified version)
Lord expose the lies so greater truth can come into my innermost being. You Lord are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. We need your Truth like never before Lord.
Help us to receive it I pray.
Monday, 28 November 2011
To Be A Hypocrite
by Tony Clark
To be a hypocrite is to be clean on the outside but rotten on the inside - to live up to a level of morality or to set a standard outwardly, but in reality being driven by motives and agendas that are hidden and quiet contrary to what we profess. Because of our intense desire/need to be perfect, and the guilt when we are not, we cover our shame and project it on to others, condemning those that can’t or don’t live up to the standard we profess to live up to, which in fact is a lie. Jesus had mercy on those who in their own strength could not obtain or achieve and knew their weakness, but was merciless to those who by deceit and cruelty operated in hypocrisy and showed no mercy to those in need.
One of the greatest ways that the reputation of God and Christianity has been damaged in our time is when people that have never really been conformed to His image have been the greatest voice calling for repentance and a perfection that they themselves have never achieved.
So the greatest challenge in our time becomes the call to be real with where you are at with God and with people, and realise that you don’t need to be perfect to be a Christian, remembering that it’s not by our own deeds or righteous acts that we are justified before God but by the righteous act of one man’s obedience - the one who had never sinned, Jesus Christ.
To be a hypocrite is to be clean on the outside but rotten on the inside - to live up to a level of morality or to set a standard outwardly, but in reality being driven by motives and agendas that are hidden and quiet contrary to what we profess. Because of our intense desire/need to be perfect, and the guilt when we are not, we cover our shame and project it on to others, condemning those that can’t or don’t live up to the standard we profess to live up to, which in fact is a lie. Jesus had mercy on those who in their own strength could not obtain or achieve and knew their weakness, but was merciless to those who by deceit and cruelty operated in hypocrisy and showed no mercy to those in need.
One of the greatest ways that the reputation of God and Christianity has been damaged in our time is when people that have never really been conformed to His image have been the greatest voice calling for repentance and a perfection that they themselves have never achieved.
So the greatest challenge in our time becomes the call to be real with where you are at with God and with people, and realise that you don’t need to be perfect to be a Christian, remembering that it’s not by our own deeds or righteous acts that we are justified before God but by the righteous act of one man’s obedience - the one who had never sinned, Jesus Christ.
The High Prize
by Tony Clark
The worshippers take us in. As we enter His courts with thanksgiving, and move deeper into the inner courts, to that place of intimacy, then the presence of God begins to manifest and affect the natural realm. Because the spirit is the true reality, and as we enter in, by faith, that which is unseen becomes tangible.
The tabernacle. It’s the way God designed for us to come. And you can be guaranteed that when we reach the Holy of Holies, we will see the cloud. It’s a place of unity, a place of right doctrine, a place of right standing and purity. God hates idols, and idolatry even more, for men to serve a lie, and to give glory where there is no glory, and to withhold it where it’s due. There is only one truth, just because we believe something is true doesn’t mean it is true. The whole world is under the power and sway of the wicked one, the deceiver. Oh Lord, break these chains! As Lynne says, people believe what they prefer to be true. This is a terrible tragedy because in taking the easy way, the path of least resistance, avoiding the hard things, they miss out on what it is they truly seek – freedom.
It’s going to take a people to not settle for second best, a people that will not accept less than His glory, His face, no matter what the cost to self. Because what He says is true, and those who diligently seek Him will surely find Him. A holy God is a fearful thing to those who come in their own righteousness, but to those that come in the righteousness of His Son He is life everlasting and living water, satisfying to the soul.
He is what we seek; He is the Beginning and the End, from everlasting to everlasting. And He is good. We don’t need to fear coming to Him, He has already laid blame and attributed condemnation to the place that He has chosen for it to lay, and He’s made a way for us, to become Sons, free of all condemnation and guilt from sin. He made a way through His own Son who became the propitiation for our sins, so that we could be made righteous. And because of the blood of His Son that was spilt for us, we have freedom, forgiveness of sin, and right standing with God. We would be mad to not take advantage of that great opportunity. We have been given the opportunity to receive everything that is God and good, the greatest prize, the most valuable gift that could ever be given eternal life, not just eternal in length of time, but in value!
The worshippers take us in. As we enter His courts with thanksgiving, and move deeper into the inner courts, to that place of intimacy, then the presence of God begins to manifest and affect the natural realm. Because the spirit is the true reality, and as we enter in, by faith, that which is unseen becomes tangible.
The tabernacle. It’s the way God designed for us to come. And you can be guaranteed that when we reach the Holy of Holies, we will see the cloud. It’s a place of unity, a place of right doctrine, a place of right standing and purity. God hates idols, and idolatry even more, for men to serve a lie, and to give glory where there is no glory, and to withhold it where it’s due. There is only one truth, just because we believe something is true doesn’t mean it is true. The whole world is under the power and sway of the wicked one, the deceiver. Oh Lord, break these chains! As Lynne says, people believe what they prefer to be true. This is a terrible tragedy because in taking the easy way, the path of least resistance, avoiding the hard things, they miss out on what it is they truly seek – freedom.
It’s going to take a people to not settle for second best, a people that will not accept less than His glory, His face, no matter what the cost to self. Because what He says is true, and those who diligently seek Him will surely find Him. A holy God is a fearful thing to those who come in their own righteousness, but to those that come in the righteousness of His Son He is life everlasting and living water, satisfying to the soul.
He is what we seek; He is the Beginning and the End, from everlasting to everlasting. And He is good. We don’t need to fear coming to Him, He has already laid blame and attributed condemnation to the place that He has chosen for it to lay, and He’s made a way for us, to become Sons, free of all condemnation and guilt from sin. He made a way through His own Son who became the propitiation for our sins, so that we could be made righteous. And because of the blood of His Son that was spilt for us, we have freedom, forgiveness of sin, and right standing with God. We would be mad to not take advantage of that great opportunity. We have been given the opportunity to receive everything that is God and good, the greatest prize, the most valuable gift that could ever be given eternal life, not just eternal in length of time, but in value!
Thursday, 3 November 2011
The Next Decade
by Trevor Young
(16 December 2004)
On Thursday morning I was sitting in my lounge room, quietly pondering on the words that the prophets spoke the previous night and I was reminded of the words in Romans 5:20 “BUT WHERE SIN ABOUNDED GRACE ABOUNDED MUCH MORE.”
As I listened to the Holy Spirit, He began to reveal to me some things about this. He began to show me that in the next decade there will indeed be an immense outpouring of antagonism and persecution, verbally, visually and physically toward the church, God’s people. There is going to be an avalanche of hatred, abuse and all sorts of vile accusations, torrents of lies, deceit and cunning plots in an attempt to bring the church into disrepute. The credibility of many church leaders is going to come under extreme pressure and scrutiny and that satan was about to unleash this hatred and those vile accusations especially toward church leaders. Then a very loud voice said, “Fear not, fear not My beloved church. Fear not; fear not my beloved faithful people. I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD. WHERE SIN ABOUNDS MY GRACE WILL ABOUND MUCH MORE.”
Then I saw these many church leaders being led into the dock before Judges, being accused of all kinds of vile accusations. Then one by one these church leaders stood up before the Judge and as they did they appeared to be enveloped by the Holy Spirit and were anointed with unbelievable boldness. So strong that their mouths became like instruments and began to declare truth declaring the undeniable truth of the Gospel. The Judges sat silent but only to say, “I see no guilt in this one and I see no guilt in this one, let them go” and I was reminded of the words that Jesus said in Matthew 10:18-20, “You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake as a testimony to them and the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up do not worry about how or what you should speak for it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak. For it is not you who speak but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.” Then he took me to 2 Timothy 4:17, “But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me so that the message might be preached fully through me and that the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the Lion.”
Then the Spirit showed me this. It was a large church building not unlike ours but the walls of the church were bursting at the seams because the building could not contain all of the souls who were responding to the call of God. I thought of our move to this place and it was as if God was saying our move had little to do with finance but all to do with making room for the souls that are to come in. He showed me many churches who for years had watched the steady decline in their church members but were now watching in awe at the huge number of souls that were coming in and weren’t quite sure what to do with them. I saw many churches in the process of renovating enlarging their tents so to speak to accommodate all the crowds only to have to renovate and enlarge again and again.
It seemed that the more satan unleashed his hatred, the churches only grew larger and larger and stronger. I found it hard to keep writing there was just so much going on. Crowds were coming from everywhere, I didn’t know from where? They just seemed to be coming from everywhere and going in all directions to all these different churches. There were thousands upon thousands of young people many who had previously used the Lord’s name in vain, proclaiming their love for Jesus. It took me back to the seventies, the Jesus movement but this was so much greater. It wasn’t just young people there were thousands of older and even very old people who’s hearts were once cold to God but who’s scales had suddenly fallen from their eyes, the darkness being removed from them for the first time in their long lives.
The excitement was overpowering the crowds just kept getting bigger and bigger. The noise was deafening but it was a deafening joyful noise. Then I saw him, satan sitting on an old wooden box his arms by his side, his head drooped low with all his demons standing around him looking helplessly on at the huge crowds crying Jesus, Jesus. A stockpile of all his weapons were piled as high as the sky.
There he was helpless, hopeless and totally defeated and God reminded me, “Yes, My son even the gates of hell will not prevail against My church.”
(16 December 2004)
On Thursday morning I was sitting in my lounge room, quietly pondering on the words that the prophets spoke the previous night and I was reminded of the words in Romans 5:20 “BUT WHERE SIN ABOUNDED GRACE ABOUNDED MUCH MORE.”
As I listened to the Holy Spirit, He began to reveal to me some things about this. He began to show me that in the next decade there will indeed be an immense outpouring of antagonism and persecution, verbally, visually and physically toward the church, God’s people. There is going to be an avalanche of hatred, abuse and all sorts of vile accusations, torrents of lies, deceit and cunning plots in an attempt to bring the church into disrepute. The credibility of many church leaders is going to come under extreme pressure and scrutiny and that satan was about to unleash this hatred and those vile accusations especially toward church leaders. Then a very loud voice said, “Fear not, fear not My beloved church. Fear not; fear not my beloved faithful people. I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD. WHERE SIN ABOUNDS MY GRACE WILL ABOUND MUCH MORE.”
Then I saw these many church leaders being led into the dock before Judges, being accused of all kinds of vile accusations. Then one by one these church leaders stood up before the Judge and as they did they appeared to be enveloped by the Holy Spirit and were anointed with unbelievable boldness. So strong that their mouths became like instruments and began to declare truth declaring the undeniable truth of the Gospel. The Judges sat silent but only to say, “I see no guilt in this one and I see no guilt in this one, let them go” and I was reminded of the words that Jesus said in Matthew 10:18-20, “You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake as a testimony to them and the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up do not worry about how or what you should speak for it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak. For it is not you who speak but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.” Then he took me to 2 Timothy 4:17, “But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me so that the message might be preached fully through me and that the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the Lion.”
Then the Spirit showed me this. It was a large church building not unlike ours but the walls of the church were bursting at the seams because the building could not contain all of the souls who were responding to the call of God. I thought of our move to this place and it was as if God was saying our move had little to do with finance but all to do with making room for the souls that are to come in. He showed me many churches who for years had watched the steady decline in their church members but were now watching in awe at the huge number of souls that were coming in and weren’t quite sure what to do with them. I saw many churches in the process of renovating enlarging their tents so to speak to accommodate all the crowds only to have to renovate and enlarge again and again.
It seemed that the more satan unleashed his hatred, the churches only grew larger and larger and stronger. I found it hard to keep writing there was just so much going on. Crowds were coming from everywhere, I didn’t know from where? They just seemed to be coming from everywhere and going in all directions to all these different churches. There were thousands upon thousands of young people many who had previously used the Lord’s name in vain, proclaiming their love for Jesus. It took me back to the seventies, the Jesus movement but this was so much greater. It wasn’t just young people there were thousands of older and even very old people who’s hearts were once cold to God but who’s scales had suddenly fallen from their eyes, the darkness being removed from them for the first time in their long lives.
The excitement was overpowering the crowds just kept getting bigger and bigger. The noise was deafening but it was a deafening joyful noise. Then I saw him, satan sitting on an old wooden box his arms by his side, his head drooped low with all his demons standing around him looking helplessly on at the huge crowds crying Jesus, Jesus. A stockpile of all his weapons were piled as high as the sky.
There he was helpless, hopeless and totally defeated and God reminded me, “Yes, My son even the gates of hell will not prevail against My church.”
Wednesday, 2 November 2011
Genius In A Bottle
Poem by Moya Boardman
So who put you there and screwed in the cork
Keeping you bound and constrained
Every action defined by the fear in your mind
Of the “What if’s?”
So who will rub the bottle to let you free?
To escape the confines and truly be
The genius for all to see
Seems you put yourself there
and you keep yourself there
Cause you believe what your mind says is true
That’s such a pile of rubbish
Why do you stay that way?
It seems like hearing, you don’t hear
and what can I do
Except tell you again & again?
Your mind and feelings don’t dictate what is true
Why open up and let them in?
You should have bouncers on the door
To check their ID and
Give them the boot if it’s false
So who put you there and screwed in the cork
Keeping you bound and constrained
Every action defined by the fear in your mind
Of the “What if’s?”
So who will rub the bottle to let you free?
To escape the confines and truly be
The genius for all to see
Seems you put yourself there
and you keep yourself there
Cause you believe what your mind says is true
That’s such a pile of rubbish
Why do you stay that way?
It seems like hearing, you don’t hear
and what can I do
Except tell you again & again?
Your mind and feelings don’t dictate what is true
Why open up and let them in?
You should have bouncers on the door
To check their ID and
Give them the boot if it’s false
My Father Does Not Talk Like That
Poem by Moya Boardman
Overwhelming condemnation
Immobilising shame
Mistakes replayed with ridicule
“Your attempts are pathetic and lame”
My father does not talk like that
His voice is full of love
Acceptance and encouragement
The truth that is above
“You were so bad it was painful
They were all laughing at you
No point in doing anything more
Why bother? You haven’t a clue?”
My father does not talk like that
His aim is to take me higher
His words bring hope and comfort
They are not the words of a liar
Affirmation and correction
Coming from a loving heart
Empower and bring freedom
Courage to follow my path
Earthly fathers can speak words of pain
So it’s hard to start to hear
To tell where the words are coming from
And what is the root of fear
“I am so proud that you stepped out
We will walk through all together
A future and a hope is what I have for you”
That talk is from my father.
Overwhelming condemnation
Immobilising shame
Mistakes replayed with ridicule
“Your attempts are pathetic and lame”
My father does not talk like that
His voice is full of love
Acceptance and encouragement
The truth that is above
“You were so bad it was painful
They were all laughing at you
No point in doing anything more
Why bother? You haven’t a clue?”
My father does not talk like that
His aim is to take me higher
His words bring hope and comfort
They are not the words of a liar
Affirmation and correction
Coming from a loving heart
Empower and bring freedom
Courage to follow my path
Earthly fathers can speak words of pain
So it’s hard to start to hear
To tell where the words are coming from
And what is the root of fear
“I am so proud that you stepped out
We will walk through all together
A future and a hope is what I have for you”
That talk is from my father.
Tuesday, 1 November 2011
Submit: Confronting False Doctrine
by Glenice Mills
"SUBMIT": Never has there been a Biblical word so misunderstood, and misused in the name of the Lord!!! The resulting abuses and bondage, mainly on God’s women because of man’s (note: man’s, not males) misunderstanding of this word, must be exposed at this time.
God is raising up His women in this hour, and unless and until true Godly understanding of the word ‘submit’ is brought, women will battle or stay bound by what is a lie of the enemy. Sadly the Lord’s church has bought into this lie because it has suited male leaders to keep their women quiet, for fear they may actually rise and take their rightful positions in God, and be effective in His kingdom! This word is not a male versus female or female versus male issue, but rather addressing incorrect doctrine, distorting the Lord’s true character and His ways.
There is a fire in my belly right now as in recent days I have heard two women innocently speak to me about their circumstances and their instruction by their leaders to ‘learn’ to submit. One was told to learn to submit to their husband, and the other to learn to submit to their Christian boss, who is not doing the right thing by them.
Are we meant to come in agreement with ungodly men/women who have some supposed ‘rulership’ over our lives? Does God endorse us yielding our lives to ones who do not have the character or Godly behaviour that would have us flourishing and growing in Him? Who and how are we to submit? What is the right Biblical understanding of this word: submit?
I am only scratching at the surface of what is an incredibly complex understanding of a word that has been used as a weapon mainly against God’s women, bringing them under and into an inferior status, and putting a heavy yoke upon them.
When one thinks of the word submit, it immediately brings up a picture of one greater than, more superior, wielding greater power, and the other, the victim, as the underling, lesser than, inferior being.
This false doctrine of submission has been around for centuries, and the church has willingly bought into this by using the Apostle Paul’s words as some God given right to wield false power by a supposed superior against an inferior one. It is very easy to take a word out of context, and twist it to make it what we want to. That is how cults and false religions have set themselves up. This takes away from the heart of what the Lord is saying in the big picture of the Scriptures. We must not forget about the culture of the day and how the Lord is also addressing this in His word.
We must look at the roots of why this has been the case and search out the Father’s heart for His women, His beloved ones, made in His image.
I need to say at this point I am not a feminist, nor do I endorse rebellious, independent, non accountable Christians who go around as ‘lone rangers’ speaking out of their own opinions and judgments. I personally have ones whom I willingly submit to, whose hearts are for me, who want good for my life, and want to see me come into all the Lord would have for me.
I am addressing an imbalance, a demonic spirit, and a doctrine that is not of God.
I pray that even now as you read this that the Lord would open your eyes to Truth and bring greater understanding to what He is requiring of you in your life at this time.
This is about coming out from under a curse and coming into His blessings and breakthrough in your life.
Firstly I want to bring a Scripture that is God’s perspective of how He sees males and females. If we get an understanding of this we will see God’s heart for His people.
Genesis 1:27
So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them.
We are created in His image. We, males and females, are a unique aspect of God, and if we deny one part of Him, that is the female, are we not stopping the full expression of God? If we do this are we not missing something in the body of Christ, stopping the fullness of Jesus Christ coming through: like having parts of a body missing, stopping us from fully functioning? The tragedy is the full impact of this affects both males and females. This is of the enemy. Men have often innocently bought into the lie that women are somehow inferior and must ‘bow’ to them in some subservient way, often ‘appearing’ as an outward expression of submitting to them. It boosts their pride and makes them ‘feel’ like the protective man they are ‘supposed’ to be. Women have fallen into the lie by willingly choosing to be subservient to the man bringing her a false sense of comfort and peace. The truth is there is not peace! The stupid thing is appearances of submission are not necessarily ‘true’ submission because to submit is actually a heart response, it is not by our striving or actions that bring about the submission. We are fooling and deluding ourselves if we think this is so. It is actually a false way of living and being and is not by the Spirit of God.
In James 4:7 we are instructed to submit ourselves to God. This is and must be the number one priority in our lives, for everything else stems from this. When we do this it helps us keep our lives in line with God’s character and His ways. It helps us as we make daily choices in relationships and direction. This is our protection.
Romans 13:1
Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.
This verse speaks clearly about submitting to those in authority positions as they are put in these positions by God. This is right so long as they are leading in Godly ways.
We then see in Ephesians chapter 5 where the Word deals with issues of love, walking in the light and walking in wisdom. It is in this chapter that the Apostle Paul says wives are to submit to their husbands, as to the Lord and men are instructed to love their wives. If wives are to submit to their husbands, as to the Lord would this not mean that wives should have an expectation that their husbands would be Christlike in their behaviours and character?
Ephesians 5:21
Submitting to one another in the fear of God.
If we all submit one to another in the fear of the Lord then that must mean we would all love, respect, honour, and esteem one another. Would that not mean that there would be an equality of relationship?
This comes back to my original question that asks: are we meant to come in agreement with ungodly men/women who have rulership over our lives?
I don’t think so! It is easy to forget the basic truth of Christianity, one that our Lord Jesus Christ shed His blood on Calvary for, and that is our freedom!
God gave us free will, that is His gift to us. Free will is a freedom to choose. So if we are given free will how does the line become blurred that says we must submit even if it puts us in bondage to an ungodly person or any person in a position in our lives they are not meant to have? Is it right that a woman should submit herself to a husband who abuses her, who crushes her with his words, and physically and mentally and in other ungodly ways? Is this not actually saying a wife must submit to her husband at all cost even if he does the wrong thing to her? Is it not saying to the wife that the Lord endorses his ungodly behaviour? This is not freedom, this is bondage, and this null and voids the power of the cross. This cannot be God’s way! This is not who God is, He is a God of love! The tragedy is that many a woman has been told by a church leader to submit to her husband even if he is cruel to her. This has done serious damage to many women, and to the name of the Lord, and to the name of Christianity. This is where taking a Scripture out of context and making it fit what you want it to doing terrible damage. Is it right that we should put any person in a higher position than us, as like a god? Isn’t this idolatry?
The opposite of free will is control. God does not endorse any form of control as it is against who He is. With control there is always a sense of obligation. When we are obligated to someone we have given ourselves over to them by an act of our wills. Obligation has a binding, compulsion to it that ties us to that person.
We are to submit our wills to the Lord not to any person! This is about freedom to both men and women. The enemy has had a field day bringing strife and division between the sexes. The truth is we will all let one another down, that is because we live in a world of sin. It is not right that we should expect either sex to strive to be and do what can only be done with the Lord’s help. Men should not be expected to take all the load, and nor should women be subjected to abuse in its many forms by any man. We, together, alongside one another, equal, as true expressions of the Father heart of God, can do much to advance God’s kingdom here on earth. The greater the divisions, which is what the enemy wants, the less effective and impacting we will be in the world.
Galatians 3:26-29
For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
We are all one in Christ Jesus! That is the truth!!!
"SUBMIT": Never has there been a Biblical word so misunderstood, and misused in the name of the Lord!!! The resulting abuses and bondage, mainly on God’s women because of man’s (note: man’s, not males) misunderstanding of this word, must be exposed at this time.
God is raising up His women in this hour, and unless and until true Godly understanding of the word ‘submit’ is brought, women will battle or stay bound by what is a lie of the enemy. Sadly the Lord’s church has bought into this lie because it has suited male leaders to keep their women quiet, for fear they may actually rise and take their rightful positions in God, and be effective in His kingdom! This word is not a male versus female or female versus male issue, but rather addressing incorrect doctrine, distorting the Lord’s true character and His ways.
There is a fire in my belly right now as in recent days I have heard two women innocently speak to me about their circumstances and their instruction by their leaders to ‘learn’ to submit. One was told to learn to submit to their husband, and the other to learn to submit to their Christian boss, who is not doing the right thing by them.
Are we meant to come in agreement with ungodly men/women who have some supposed ‘rulership’ over our lives? Does God endorse us yielding our lives to ones who do not have the character or Godly behaviour that would have us flourishing and growing in Him? Who and how are we to submit? What is the right Biblical understanding of this word: submit?
I am only scratching at the surface of what is an incredibly complex understanding of a word that has been used as a weapon mainly against God’s women, bringing them under and into an inferior status, and putting a heavy yoke upon them.
When one thinks of the word submit, it immediately brings up a picture of one greater than, more superior, wielding greater power, and the other, the victim, as the underling, lesser than, inferior being.
This false doctrine of submission has been around for centuries, and the church has willingly bought into this by using the Apostle Paul’s words as some God given right to wield false power by a supposed superior against an inferior one. It is very easy to take a word out of context, and twist it to make it what we want to. That is how cults and false religions have set themselves up. This takes away from the heart of what the Lord is saying in the big picture of the Scriptures. We must not forget about the culture of the day and how the Lord is also addressing this in His word.
We must look at the roots of why this has been the case and search out the Father’s heart for His women, His beloved ones, made in His image.
I need to say at this point I am not a feminist, nor do I endorse rebellious, independent, non accountable Christians who go around as ‘lone rangers’ speaking out of their own opinions and judgments. I personally have ones whom I willingly submit to, whose hearts are for me, who want good for my life, and want to see me come into all the Lord would have for me.
I am addressing an imbalance, a demonic spirit, and a doctrine that is not of God.
I pray that even now as you read this that the Lord would open your eyes to Truth and bring greater understanding to what He is requiring of you in your life at this time.
This is about coming out from under a curse and coming into His blessings and breakthrough in your life.
Firstly I want to bring a Scripture that is God’s perspective of how He sees males and females. If we get an understanding of this we will see God’s heart for His people.
Genesis 1:27
So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them.
We are created in His image. We, males and females, are a unique aspect of God, and if we deny one part of Him, that is the female, are we not stopping the full expression of God? If we do this are we not missing something in the body of Christ, stopping the fullness of Jesus Christ coming through: like having parts of a body missing, stopping us from fully functioning? The tragedy is the full impact of this affects both males and females. This is of the enemy. Men have often innocently bought into the lie that women are somehow inferior and must ‘bow’ to them in some subservient way, often ‘appearing’ as an outward expression of submitting to them. It boosts their pride and makes them ‘feel’ like the protective man they are ‘supposed’ to be. Women have fallen into the lie by willingly choosing to be subservient to the man bringing her a false sense of comfort and peace. The truth is there is not peace! The stupid thing is appearances of submission are not necessarily ‘true’ submission because to submit is actually a heart response, it is not by our striving or actions that bring about the submission. We are fooling and deluding ourselves if we think this is so. It is actually a false way of living and being and is not by the Spirit of God.
In James 4:7 we are instructed to submit ourselves to God. This is and must be the number one priority in our lives, for everything else stems from this. When we do this it helps us keep our lives in line with God’s character and His ways. It helps us as we make daily choices in relationships and direction. This is our protection.
Romans 13:1
Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.
This verse speaks clearly about submitting to those in authority positions as they are put in these positions by God. This is right so long as they are leading in Godly ways.
We then see in Ephesians chapter 5 where the Word deals with issues of love, walking in the light and walking in wisdom. It is in this chapter that the Apostle Paul says wives are to submit to their husbands, as to the Lord and men are instructed to love their wives. If wives are to submit to their husbands, as to the Lord would this not mean that wives should have an expectation that their husbands would be Christlike in their behaviours and character?
Ephesians 5:21
Submitting to one another in the fear of God.
If we all submit one to another in the fear of the Lord then that must mean we would all love, respect, honour, and esteem one another. Would that not mean that there would be an equality of relationship?
This comes back to my original question that asks: are we meant to come in agreement with ungodly men/women who have rulership over our lives?
I don’t think so! It is easy to forget the basic truth of Christianity, one that our Lord Jesus Christ shed His blood on Calvary for, and that is our freedom!
God gave us free will, that is His gift to us. Free will is a freedom to choose. So if we are given free will how does the line become blurred that says we must submit even if it puts us in bondage to an ungodly person or any person in a position in our lives they are not meant to have? Is it right that a woman should submit herself to a husband who abuses her, who crushes her with his words, and physically and mentally and in other ungodly ways? Is this not actually saying a wife must submit to her husband at all cost even if he does the wrong thing to her? Is it not saying to the wife that the Lord endorses his ungodly behaviour? This is not freedom, this is bondage, and this null and voids the power of the cross. This cannot be God’s way! This is not who God is, He is a God of love! The tragedy is that many a woman has been told by a church leader to submit to her husband even if he is cruel to her. This has done serious damage to many women, and to the name of the Lord, and to the name of Christianity. This is where taking a Scripture out of context and making it fit what you want it to doing terrible damage. Is it right that we should put any person in a higher position than us, as like a god? Isn’t this idolatry?
The opposite of free will is control. God does not endorse any form of control as it is against who He is. With control there is always a sense of obligation. When we are obligated to someone we have given ourselves over to them by an act of our wills. Obligation has a binding, compulsion to it that ties us to that person.
We are to submit our wills to the Lord not to any person! This is about freedom to both men and women. The enemy has had a field day bringing strife and division between the sexes. The truth is we will all let one another down, that is because we live in a world of sin. It is not right that we should expect either sex to strive to be and do what can only be done with the Lord’s help. Men should not be expected to take all the load, and nor should women be subjected to abuse in its many forms by any man. We, together, alongside one another, equal, as true expressions of the Father heart of God, can do much to advance God’s kingdom here on earth. The greater the divisions, which is what the enemy wants, the less effective and impacting we will be in the world.
Galatians 3:26-29
For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
We are all one in Christ Jesus! That is the truth!!!
Poem - Jesus Reigns
by Tony Clark
I may feel lost and not know which way to go - Jesus reigns
I may be stuck in sin unable to see the light - Jesus reigns
I may have lost that which was dear to me - Jesus reigns
I may be full of fear, overcome - Jesus reigns
Jesus reigns in spite of me
Just because I’m having a bad day doesn’t mean that God is off the throne.
I may feel lost and not know which way to go - Jesus reigns
I may be stuck in sin unable to see the light - Jesus reigns
I may have lost that which was dear to me - Jesus reigns
I may be full of fear, overcome - Jesus reigns
Jesus reigns in spite of me
Just because I’m having a bad day doesn’t mean that God is off the throne.
The Desperate Place
by Glenice Mills
The body of Christ is in and coming into a greater positioning of ‘the desperate place’.
The truth is the church in western nations has become complacent and carried away by the ‘happy clappy’, ‘name it claim it’ doctrine that has lulled many Christians into a place of false comfort and peace. Religious traditions by the hand of man will not sustain God’s people in times ahead. This is not a criticism but a reality check for we must know where we are at right now, so we can be all that we are meant to be in the coming days and times.
There has been much talk about the end times and those with eyes to see will know that signs of the end of the age as shown in Scripture are starting to come to pass.
If this is so, then we must realise that God is looking for a people who are prepared to walk through these difficult times, positioned to speak truth and preach the gospel to what will be a desperate people. Most Christians in the Western church have not experienced persecution or endured hardship that has meant they are totally reliant on the Lord for their very substance, for their very life.
I have often thought if we are in the time of the re-establishing of the apostolic/prophetic back into the church then we must be positioned to need to know what the Lord is doing in these times. We see in the Bible how the Apostle Paul and his men and women spoke out and confronted the evil practices of the day, and addressed issues of righteousness in government, in both governance of nations and the church. We would be naïve to think that this would not be so today as the Lord raises up His apostles and prophets.
The Lord is bringing many of His people to the desperate place. The church has forgotten the truth that the desperate place is actually a way of God. Most of us came to salvation because we were desperate, needing His help. It does not stop at salvation, and in fact there will be many times where one is brought to the end of themselves as God allows things to happen to stop and bring us to a place of crying out to Him from a desperate heart. This is not a negative thing but as you will see it is actually crucial for ushering in new beginnings. It is a part of our walk with the Lord. This in fact flies in the face of the hyper faith, name it claim it, shallow pandering to man’s agenda to feel good, appeasing gospel that has been preached in recent decades.
This is a wake up call, a rallying cry, to get us out of the place of complacency and into position for what the Lord has for us all in the times ahead.
So what does it mean to be desperate?
Desperation means: to be utterly without a way so ‘to be quite at a loss’, without resource, in despair. Desperation is also a readiness to take any action in the desperate situation. The truth is God does not show Himself great in abundance, He works in emptiness. The dry, barren place is where the blessing is.
So how can this line up with the thinking that says ‘come to the Lord and all will be well, name it and claim it as mine doctrine’ that is regularly preached from our pulpits? How does that help the struggling Christian who is in financial ruin, who struggles with sin issues such as lusts and addictions? How does that help the family who is falling apart because of division, hatred and turmoil because the family is broken and hurting? If we are going to be relevant in these and coming days we must recognise the truth of the ‘desperate place.’
The desperate place actually positions us for breakthrough! However, we have to be willing to allow the Lord to bring us to desperation.
Desperation can be likened to a woman in labour, as the contractions increase, in order to bring the baby to birth. Every women who has had a child knows the anguish in the transition time when the cervix is fully dilated and the pushing begins to occur. There is such anguish that she cannot be quiet, she must cry out, and groan and moan to bring about the birth. It is interesting to note that the word anguish means a narrowness of place, a compressing. There is an anguish of soul. David’s soul was afflicted in his anguish. He was brought low ready to die as seen in many of the Psalms. This speaks not only of death in the natural, but of a desperation of death to his soul.
Psalm 88:15-18
But to You I have cried out, O Lord,
And in the morning my prayer comes before You.
Lord, why do You cast off my soul?
Why do You hide your face from me?
I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth;
I suffer Your terrors;
I am distraught.
The enemy of desperation is complacency. Complacency is the state of being self satisfied, calmly content. Perhaps it can be likened to being lukewarm as spoken of in Revelation 3:16.
Unfortunately complacency is an easy trap to fall into particularly as it can be a way of life for many in Australia under the stronghold of ‘she’ll be right mate’. So long as life appears to be going well we can be lulled into a ‘ho-hum’ way of living and being until circumstances stir us up to arise and ‘come to life’. When we are desperate we will rouse from complacency and become passionate for life to come.
A great example in the Bible is of Hannah. She is a barren women needing a miracle.
Maybe you are in the barren, dry place? This is where the blessing is! It may not appear to be so but this is where God works in our emptiness. God doesn’t show Himself great in abundance, He works in emptiness!
We see her desperation in 1 Samuel 1:2-19. There are some important keys in these verses that help us to understand the ‘desperate place’.
God vindicates Hannah and we see the promise come to pass. God will come to our rescue when we are desperate for Him and for the promise to be fulfilled.
Remember He is the one who gave you the dream in the first place.
It was God who put the desire in Hannah to have a child, but it was also God who blocked her womb. The ultimate victory comes when we can give testimony to the goodness of God, to His power being displayed from the desperate place to breakthrough!
John 17:21-24
A woman, when she is in labour, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.
Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.
Desperation positions us for breakthrough!!! It can be a time for the power of God to be released to bring change in your circumstances!! Transition positions us for change! Desperation is a way of God. We know we are coming into desperate times when we will need the Lord’s help like never before. These can be times of incredible growth in our relationship with the Lord, and in the forging of our character, bringing those areas not yet surrendered to the Lord to the altar. That is the power of the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross at Calvary for me and for you. The Lord is with you in whatever place and circumstance you are in right now!
Be encouraged!! The desperate place is a good place!!! It’s the place of miracles!!!
The body of Christ is in and coming into a greater positioning of ‘the desperate place’.
The truth is the church in western nations has become complacent and carried away by the ‘happy clappy’, ‘name it claim it’ doctrine that has lulled many Christians into a place of false comfort and peace. Religious traditions by the hand of man will not sustain God’s people in times ahead. This is not a criticism but a reality check for we must know where we are at right now, so we can be all that we are meant to be in the coming days and times.
There has been much talk about the end times and those with eyes to see will know that signs of the end of the age as shown in Scripture are starting to come to pass.
If this is so, then we must realise that God is looking for a people who are prepared to walk through these difficult times, positioned to speak truth and preach the gospel to what will be a desperate people. Most Christians in the Western church have not experienced persecution or endured hardship that has meant they are totally reliant on the Lord for their very substance, for their very life.
I have often thought if we are in the time of the re-establishing of the apostolic/prophetic back into the church then we must be positioned to need to know what the Lord is doing in these times. We see in the Bible how the Apostle Paul and his men and women spoke out and confronted the evil practices of the day, and addressed issues of righteousness in government, in both governance of nations and the church. We would be naïve to think that this would not be so today as the Lord raises up His apostles and prophets.
The Lord is bringing many of His people to the desperate place. The church has forgotten the truth that the desperate place is actually a way of God. Most of us came to salvation because we were desperate, needing His help. It does not stop at salvation, and in fact there will be many times where one is brought to the end of themselves as God allows things to happen to stop and bring us to a place of crying out to Him from a desperate heart. This is not a negative thing but as you will see it is actually crucial for ushering in new beginnings. It is a part of our walk with the Lord. This in fact flies in the face of the hyper faith, name it claim it, shallow pandering to man’s agenda to feel good, appeasing gospel that has been preached in recent decades.
This is a wake up call, a rallying cry, to get us out of the place of complacency and into position for what the Lord has for us all in the times ahead.
So what does it mean to be desperate?
Desperation means: to be utterly without a way so ‘to be quite at a loss’, without resource, in despair. Desperation is also a readiness to take any action in the desperate situation. The truth is God does not show Himself great in abundance, He works in emptiness. The dry, barren place is where the blessing is.
So how can this line up with the thinking that says ‘come to the Lord and all will be well, name it and claim it as mine doctrine’ that is regularly preached from our pulpits? How does that help the struggling Christian who is in financial ruin, who struggles with sin issues such as lusts and addictions? How does that help the family who is falling apart because of division, hatred and turmoil because the family is broken and hurting? If we are going to be relevant in these and coming days we must recognise the truth of the ‘desperate place.’
The desperate place actually positions us for breakthrough! However, we have to be willing to allow the Lord to bring us to desperation.
Desperation can be likened to a woman in labour, as the contractions increase, in order to bring the baby to birth. Every women who has had a child knows the anguish in the transition time when the cervix is fully dilated and the pushing begins to occur. There is such anguish that she cannot be quiet, she must cry out, and groan and moan to bring about the birth. It is interesting to note that the word anguish means a narrowness of place, a compressing. There is an anguish of soul. David’s soul was afflicted in his anguish. He was brought low ready to die as seen in many of the Psalms. This speaks not only of death in the natural, but of a desperation of death to his soul.
Psalm 88:15-18
But to You I have cried out, O Lord,
And in the morning my prayer comes before You.
Lord, why do You cast off my soul?
Why do You hide your face from me?
I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth;
I suffer Your terrors;
I am distraught.
The enemy of desperation is complacency. Complacency is the state of being self satisfied, calmly content. Perhaps it can be likened to being lukewarm as spoken of in Revelation 3:16.
Unfortunately complacency is an easy trap to fall into particularly as it can be a way of life for many in Australia under the stronghold of ‘she’ll be right mate’. So long as life appears to be going well we can be lulled into a ‘ho-hum’ way of living and being until circumstances stir us up to arise and ‘come to life’. When we are desperate we will rouse from complacency and become passionate for life to come.
A great example in the Bible is of Hannah. She is a barren women needing a miracle.
Maybe you are in the barren, dry place? This is where the blessing is! It may not appear to be so but this is where God works in our emptiness. God doesn’t show Himself great in abundance, He works in emptiness!
We see her desperation in 1 Samuel 1:2-19. There are some important keys in these verses that help us to understand the ‘desperate place’.
- The Lord closed Hannah’s womb. It was by the hand of God that she was unable to conceive. Perhaps you are in difficult circumstances because it is the Lord wanting to bring desperation for a change in circumstances to come. Maybe you are in the place of needing a miracle?
- Hannah had a rival who delighted in her plight and took great joy at her grief of soul. Hannah’s husband, Elkanah had two wives, Peninnah and Hannah. Peninnah provoked her severely, in other words she was ridiculed at the most extreme level a person can bear. Yet Hannah did not lash out. Perhaps you are experiencing persecution beyond what you feel you can bear? How are you reacting to the wrongs being done against you?
- She was provoked year after year. This was not a short lived annoyance, this went on for a very long time!! This led Hannah to the desperate place. Maybe this is you right at this moment? She was grieved in heart and nothing could heal her, not even her husband’s love. All she wanted was a child.
- In verse 10 it says Hannah was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish.
- Hannah came to the place of giving up, of sacrificing the very thing she wanted. She handed her heart’s desire back to the Lord for His will to be done. Maybe the Lord is wanting you to put your dream, and what ever is causing you grief on the altar?
- Often those round and about don’t understand the bitterness of soul. Maybe you have an Eli that does not understand what you are going through and is quick to judge the situation because they are blind to what is really happening to you? Maybe like Eli they will realise it is actually God at work.
God vindicates Hannah and we see the promise come to pass. God will come to our rescue when we are desperate for Him and for the promise to be fulfilled.
Remember He is the one who gave you the dream in the first place.
It was God who put the desire in Hannah to have a child, but it was also God who blocked her womb. The ultimate victory comes when we can give testimony to the goodness of God, to His power being displayed from the desperate place to breakthrough!
John 17:21-24
A woman, when she is in labour, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.
Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.
Desperation positions us for breakthrough!!! It can be a time for the power of God to be released to bring change in your circumstances!! Transition positions us for change! Desperation is a way of God. We know we are coming into desperate times when we will need the Lord’s help like never before. These can be times of incredible growth in our relationship with the Lord, and in the forging of our character, bringing those areas not yet surrendered to the Lord to the altar. That is the power of the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross at Calvary for me and for you. The Lord is with you in whatever place and circumstance you are in right now!
Be encouraged!! The desperate place is a good place!!! It’s the place of miracles!!!
Monday, 3 October 2011
Sense of Community
by Tony Clark
I’ve been noticing more and more lately and becoming aware of the sense of community that has been growing in the hearts of members at Forerunners International, and the genuine heart felt love that we are feeling for each other, and how close we are becoming.
During a recent corporate worship session at the local Gold Coast base, God showed me that what is happening now is a single heart is beginning to form before Him in us as a church or ministry. For a long time we have been individual members and have been learning to catch and submit to the vision of Forerunners, but God is showing me that due to us faithfully and consistently worshipping together and “living” together, our corporate heart is truly beginning to emerge and take shape. It’s interesting in the book of Revelation that Jesus addressed the Churches as a unit not as individuals. We become one heart when we are in unity of purpose, intention, emotion and belief, and I believe that God has truly “knitted us together, shedding the love of Christ abroad in of hearts by the Holy Spirit”, so that He can come and respond to that heart and join with us in a much more powerful and complete way. (Similar to the way He joins with an individual at conversion). But now on a corporate level. What He is doing in us, and what we are doing in Him is preparing a place where He can dwell.
Where He can abide. I believe this kind of unity is a precursor to true revival and the coming moves of God. And we are being prepared for much more power, much more connection/ communion with Him and much more reality and experience of the kingdom of God. He really has saved the best wine for last.
I’ve been noticing more and more lately and becoming aware of the sense of community that has been growing in the hearts of members at Forerunners International, and the genuine heart felt love that we are feeling for each other, and how close we are becoming.
During a recent corporate worship session at the local Gold Coast base, God showed me that what is happening now is a single heart is beginning to form before Him in us as a church or ministry. For a long time we have been individual members and have been learning to catch and submit to the vision of Forerunners, but God is showing me that due to us faithfully and consistently worshipping together and “living” together, our corporate heart is truly beginning to emerge and take shape. It’s interesting in the book of Revelation that Jesus addressed the Churches as a unit not as individuals. We become one heart when we are in unity of purpose, intention, emotion and belief, and I believe that God has truly “knitted us together, shedding the love of Christ abroad in of hearts by the Holy Spirit”, so that He can come and respond to that heart and join with us in a much more powerful and complete way. (Similar to the way He joins with an individual at conversion). But now on a corporate level. What He is doing in us, and what we are doing in Him is preparing a place where He can dwell.
Where He can abide. I believe this kind of unity is a precursor to true revival and the coming moves of God. And we are being prepared for much more power, much more connection/ communion with Him and much more reality and experience of the kingdom of God. He really has saved the best wine for last.
Thursday, 29 September 2011
A Word for Australia (part 11b): A Prostituting Government
Part Eleven(b) of previous articles:
Part 1 + Part 2 + Part 3 + Part 4 + Part 5 + Part 6 + Part 7 + Part 8 + Part 9 + Part 10
+ Eleven (a)
by Glenice Mills
We are coming into a time of exposure of unrighteous practices within the government of this nation. The next six months will reveal corruption done by ones in a position of authority and that have abused their power and taken for their own gain. This is by the hand of God, for He is bringing to light that which has been done in secret. The Lord has been speaking to me about the spirit of prostitution that is operating to try to bring increasing evil into the corridors of power.
This exposure will bring a change that will increase instability in government as the Lord positions ones to expose this.
To prostitute oneself is to sell or make use of one’s honour or abilities unworthily.
We have seen our federal government prostitute itself to the greens in order to gain and retain power. It has caused them to sell themselves, handing themselves over to ones who actually wield the greater power because of their position. This has set the labor party up to come into and under an alliance that has made them impotent.
Bribery has been involved and this is going to come out in coming months.
The Lord has been speaking to me about the process involved.
It can be described as the following:
Seduction leads to— Bribery that leads to ——Deception that leads to ——Lies that hide what is going on
Seduction means to tempt or entice into wrong doing, to lead astray.
The spirit of prostitution operates to seduce, to set ones up to knowingly take a bribe in order to gain, whether that be positions of power or to financial gain.
A bribe is an inducement, especially money, offered to procure illegal or dishonest action or decision in favour of the giver. This is where the line is crossed, the conscience becomes seared and deception takes root. Perhaps it could be put in such a way as ‘their soul has been sold to the devil’. This choice has literally handed them over to a false power and authority that traps a person/organisation to the lie and to the giver of the bribe. It is a no win situation. It is actually a subtle shift in the balance of power. Deception comes as they tell themselves that all is well, that everything will work out, so long as they stay aligned to serving their best interests. Lastly comes the big cover up, to hide the truth and to protect from exposing what really goes on.
This unravelling of the lies and deception against the Australian people will bring increasing tensions within government and between the people and their elected representatives. It is interesting to note the word representative means to stand for and behind those it represents even sacrificing their reputation for what is just and fair.
A leader, one in an authority position, must hold themselves to a high standard of personal conduct. Our elected parliamentarians must respect the position they hold and value their position by serving the people well. It is said that we get the government that the church deserves but I would take it one step further and say our parliament reflects what is happening in our churches. That is why the Word is very clear teaching us to pray for those in position of authority and to honour and respect those who hold positions of governance in our nation and church. The truth is power does corrupt and it is easy to observe our leaders fall into the trap of pride and ambition. It is a fine line doing and saying what is right and crossing over and bowing to the demands of ones who try and catch leaders in a weak moment. This is seduction in operation. The enemy is prowling around ready to devour whom he chooses and our government representatives are easy prey. This is particularly so when inducements are offered that appeal to the flesh and self ambition of those in power. The root issue is compromise. Prostituting oneself will require compromise at some level.
Compromise is taking the middle ground to try and keep everyone happy and it will often involve accepting a bribe or inducement to keep those with a hold over an elected representative constrained. It is a no win situation for all and in fact erodes trust and breeds an unhealthy cynicism. Out of the cynicism comes dishonouring and disrespecting of those who have let us down, in this case our politicians.
It is a sad reflection on our politicians that they are the butt of cruel, crude jokes, and the subject of much mocking and deriding.
Politicians are easy bait for cynicism at the best of times, however, when their own behaviour and actions set them up to bear a greater brunt of derision then we have a cause for concern. Australians are not good at honouring and respecting those in authority and this on flows in our churches. It can be said, ‘How can we honour and respect our politicians when they are ‘fools’?’ Again it is not about the person but the position they hold. We must all be careful we do not fall into the trap of saying and joining in with those who mock and scoff our leaders, for this is not pleasing to God.
When it is the ‘Australian way’ to speak in a mocking way of our leaders and is seen as some ‘sport’, we as Christians must be very careful we do not go along in support of this way too. If we do join in, we agree with evil and in fact prostitute ourselves, handing ourselves over to their standpoint and thus compromising truth. We must in fact confront this and address the issue of respect and honour of leaders. It requires us to make a stand even at the risk of being mocked and scoffed at ourselves.
Compromise and truth cannot go together. I love the fact that the word compromise is not mentioned at all in the Bible. It cannot because the Word of God is Truth!!!
One of the saddest indictments of our politicians, both state and federal, and all party persuasions, is the way they attack one another personally, instead of dealing with issues such as policy. True leadership would be mindful of how their actions and behaviour are modelled to the people and the younger generation.
A true leader has a vision and is able to pass the vision over to the people, who then get excited and move in support, willing to help bring the vision to pass.
Sadly this vision is lacking in our leaders.
We as a nation are in a defining point as the push is on for ungodly laws to be passed concerning two major issues: same sex marriage and the carbon tax.
The Christian voice is speaking out against these laws being passed and we must stay vigilant in this. However we must also be aware at this time that at the grass roots of the political parties, people are putting themselves forward for pre-selection. We must pray for ones that have Godly character, who can be trusted and will not sell themselves to the loudest voices of influence, but rather stand for what is right, just and true. A person’s true character is shown when they are positioned in an authority position, where they can wield power for good or for evil. That is why we must pray that the right representatives be in place right at the beginning of the process. Perhaps even more so for those Christians who state they are Christians and who stand for a Christian party. They must be way and above any reproach because they have the power to influence the name of the Lord by their godly or ungodly leadership.
They cannot be brought, or be seduced by any for ill gotten gain or they are guilty of prostituting themselves for their own ends.
I am wondering why I am writing this word, however I sense the Lord is warning.
They dare not make a claim to be a Christian and not stand for and support Godly truth and God’s ways. If they bow to the false they are guilty of prostituting themselves for the sake of personal gain, and God will judge that.
I have centred on our government because it is on God’s heart at this time, however, these same principles apply to His church also. Any in leadership who are responsible for His sheep also must live lives above reproach. They too dare not compromise their lives by coming in agreement with unrighteousness, and prostituting themselves to gain approval by any with wrong motives. The Lord is concerned about the character of those who serve Him. It comes down to the integrity of those who hold any positions of leadership, and making sure they do not compromise this integrity by bowing to unscrupulous people who would abuse any chink in the leader’s character for their own ends.
The Bible speaks of prostitution also as harlotry. We don’t hear this word spoken of these days, but the picture of a harlot encompasses seduction, to bribe for favours and bring deception on the victim, like a spider entraps a fly in its web. You don’t know it happens until it is too late!
We must all be on alert for this spirit that would try and take out our Government leaders and those called in leadership position in the Lord’s church. The enemy loves more than anything to bring corruption into government and to bring the name of the Lord into disrepute in the church.
Numbers 15:39-41
“And you shall have the tassel, that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments of the Lord and do them, and that you may not follow the harlotry to which your own heart and your own eyes are inclined, and that you may remember and do all My commandments, and be holy for your God. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the Lord your God.”
We must walk from a place of ‘Search my heart O God and see if there be any wicked way in me’. It is a time to be quick to repent of any wrong heart motives particularly for any weakness in the area of lust: whether that be money, sexual or for power.
The enemy is vicious at this time and is on the prowl to bring one’s down so bringing the name of Jesus Christ into disrepute.
Please continue to pray for our leaders in authority positions of governance. They need our prayers like never before.
Part 1 + Part 2 + Part 3 + Part 4 + Part 5 + Part 6 + Part 7 + Part 8 + Part 9 + Part 10
+ Eleven (a)
by Glenice Mills
We are coming into a time of exposure of unrighteous practices within the government of this nation. The next six months will reveal corruption done by ones in a position of authority and that have abused their power and taken for their own gain. This is by the hand of God, for He is bringing to light that which has been done in secret. The Lord has been speaking to me about the spirit of prostitution that is operating to try to bring increasing evil into the corridors of power.
This exposure will bring a change that will increase instability in government as the Lord positions ones to expose this.
To prostitute oneself is to sell or make use of one’s honour or abilities unworthily.
We have seen our federal government prostitute itself to the greens in order to gain and retain power. It has caused them to sell themselves, handing themselves over to ones who actually wield the greater power because of their position. This has set the labor party up to come into and under an alliance that has made them impotent.
Bribery has been involved and this is going to come out in coming months.
The Lord has been speaking to me about the process involved.
It can be described as the following:
Seduction leads to— Bribery that leads to ——Deception that leads to ——Lies that hide what is going on
Seduction means to tempt or entice into wrong doing, to lead astray.
The spirit of prostitution operates to seduce, to set ones up to knowingly take a bribe in order to gain, whether that be positions of power or to financial gain.
A bribe is an inducement, especially money, offered to procure illegal or dishonest action or decision in favour of the giver. This is where the line is crossed, the conscience becomes seared and deception takes root. Perhaps it could be put in such a way as ‘their soul has been sold to the devil’. This choice has literally handed them over to a false power and authority that traps a person/organisation to the lie and to the giver of the bribe. It is a no win situation. It is actually a subtle shift in the balance of power. Deception comes as they tell themselves that all is well, that everything will work out, so long as they stay aligned to serving their best interests. Lastly comes the big cover up, to hide the truth and to protect from exposing what really goes on.
This unravelling of the lies and deception against the Australian people will bring increasing tensions within government and between the people and their elected representatives. It is interesting to note the word representative means to stand for and behind those it represents even sacrificing their reputation for what is just and fair.
A leader, one in an authority position, must hold themselves to a high standard of personal conduct. Our elected parliamentarians must respect the position they hold and value their position by serving the people well. It is said that we get the government that the church deserves but I would take it one step further and say our parliament reflects what is happening in our churches. That is why the Word is very clear teaching us to pray for those in position of authority and to honour and respect those who hold positions of governance in our nation and church. The truth is power does corrupt and it is easy to observe our leaders fall into the trap of pride and ambition. It is a fine line doing and saying what is right and crossing over and bowing to the demands of ones who try and catch leaders in a weak moment. This is seduction in operation. The enemy is prowling around ready to devour whom he chooses and our government representatives are easy prey. This is particularly so when inducements are offered that appeal to the flesh and self ambition of those in power. The root issue is compromise. Prostituting oneself will require compromise at some level.
Compromise is taking the middle ground to try and keep everyone happy and it will often involve accepting a bribe or inducement to keep those with a hold over an elected representative constrained. It is a no win situation for all and in fact erodes trust and breeds an unhealthy cynicism. Out of the cynicism comes dishonouring and disrespecting of those who have let us down, in this case our politicians.
It is a sad reflection on our politicians that they are the butt of cruel, crude jokes, and the subject of much mocking and deriding.
Politicians are easy bait for cynicism at the best of times, however, when their own behaviour and actions set them up to bear a greater brunt of derision then we have a cause for concern. Australians are not good at honouring and respecting those in authority and this on flows in our churches. It can be said, ‘How can we honour and respect our politicians when they are ‘fools’?’ Again it is not about the person but the position they hold. We must all be careful we do not fall into the trap of saying and joining in with those who mock and scoff our leaders, for this is not pleasing to God.
When it is the ‘Australian way’ to speak in a mocking way of our leaders and is seen as some ‘sport’, we as Christians must be very careful we do not go along in support of this way too. If we do join in, we agree with evil and in fact prostitute ourselves, handing ourselves over to their standpoint and thus compromising truth. We must in fact confront this and address the issue of respect and honour of leaders. It requires us to make a stand even at the risk of being mocked and scoffed at ourselves.
Compromise and truth cannot go together. I love the fact that the word compromise is not mentioned at all in the Bible. It cannot because the Word of God is Truth!!!
One of the saddest indictments of our politicians, both state and federal, and all party persuasions, is the way they attack one another personally, instead of dealing with issues such as policy. True leadership would be mindful of how their actions and behaviour are modelled to the people and the younger generation.
A true leader has a vision and is able to pass the vision over to the people, who then get excited and move in support, willing to help bring the vision to pass.
Sadly this vision is lacking in our leaders.
We as a nation are in a defining point as the push is on for ungodly laws to be passed concerning two major issues: same sex marriage and the carbon tax.
The Christian voice is speaking out against these laws being passed and we must stay vigilant in this. However we must also be aware at this time that at the grass roots of the political parties, people are putting themselves forward for pre-selection. We must pray for ones that have Godly character, who can be trusted and will not sell themselves to the loudest voices of influence, but rather stand for what is right, just and true. A person’s true character is shown when they are positioned in an authority position, where they can wield power for good or for evil. That is why we must pray that the right representatives be in place right at the beginning of the process. Perhaps even more so for those Christians who state they are Christians and who stand for a Christian party. They must be way and above any reproach because they have the power to influence the name of the Lord by their godly or ungodly leadership.
They cannot be brought, or be seduced by any for ill gotten gain or they are guilty of prostituting themselves for their own ends.
I am wondering why I am writing this word, however I sense the Lord is warning.
They dare not make a claim to be a Christian and not stand for and support Godly truth and God’s ways. If they bow to the false they are guilty of prostituting themselves for the sake of personal gain, and God will judge that.
I have centred on our government because it is on God’s heart at this time, however, these same principles apply to His church also. Any in leadership who are responsible for His sheep also must live lives above reproach. They too dare not compromise their lives by coming in agreement with unrighteousness, and prostituting themselves to gain approval by any with wrong motives. The Lord is concerned about the character of those who serve Him. It comes down to the integrity of those who hold any positions of leadership, and making sure they do not compromise this integrity by bowing to unscrupulous people who would abuse any chink in the leader’s character for their own ends.
The Bible speaks of prostitution also as harlotry. We don’t hear this word spoken of these days, but the picture of a harlot encompasses seduction, to bribe for favours and bring deception on the victim, like a spider entraps a fly in its web. You don’t know it happens until it is too late!
We must all be on alert for this spirit that would try and take out our Government leaders and those called in leadership position in the Lord’s church. The enemy loves more than anything to bring corruption into government and to bring the name of the Lord into disrepute in the church.
Numbers 15:39-41
“And you shall have the tassel, that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments of the Lord and do them, and that you may not follow the harlotry to which your own heart and your own eyes are inclined, and that you may remember and do all My commandments, and be holy for your God. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the Lord your God.”
We must walk from a place of ‘Search my heart O God and see if there be any wicked way in me’. It is a time to be quick to repent of any wrong heart motives particularly for any weakness in the area of lust: whether that be money, sexual or for power.
The enemy is vicious at this time and is on the prowl to bring one’s down so bringing the name of Jesus Christ into disrepute.
Please continue to pray for our leaders in authority positions of governance. They need our prayers like never before.
Tuesday, 27 September 2011
Australian Christian Morals
by Belinda Jabore
As the issue of same sex marriage continues and has been allowed already in some states in Australia and overseas, this is a question that needs to be asked is what do you think about it? And what are you going to do about it? There has been a minority group of people trying to destroy the foundations of a majority group of Australian people’s standards and belief system and doing their utmost to get their way as they scream the loudest and petition the MPs in Government continually. Yet there are champions in there also letting their voice be heard debating this issue and not allowing this to proceed any further. But also there is a majority of Australian people who seem to be in this matrix void that it is like they can’t seem to respond or want to respond to this crucial issue and continue to say nothing. Compromise is rampant and sometimes us, as Aussies, seem to put it in the too hard basket, we Aussies leave it open and we do not have an understanding to do something and not be complacent in this issue. I know most people I talk to have a strong opinion about this issue, but why are we not being heard? Martin Luther King was so right to say “for when good men do nothing evil prospers”. Because these minority groups speak the loudest they usually get what they want. Australians must make a stand on these issues and not just let our politicians handle them. The truth is that they are overwhelmed by these moral issues and they are not meant to handle them - the church is. But that’s another issue.
Reality is they are a minority group trying to change the very foundation of Australian Christian Morals and foundations that we are built on and they are standing against the family unit and values. Government are allowing it to happen as all they tend to hear is the minority group. You see if you destroy the foundation of marriage you destroy the family unit and all it stands for. Now if this minority group of people feel the need to marry then they can do it the government would allow them but without necessarily changing the foundations of Australia. But if they have to marry (and it is their choice and their will to do so) then the very thing they are standing for they are destroying. The bottom line is that this is sin and when you sin it will bring death to a thing, which will bring death to the family unit and the very values of family and what marriage stands for. The bottom line is children need a Mother and a Father. In our eagerness to remove so called discrimination amongst adults we end up discriminating against our children. We are losing Australian values and children’s rights are being ignored in this debate. My family and I am passionate to reverse this inequity. You see our kid’s rights count and children need a Mother and a Father. Marriage between a man and a woman is the foundation stone of families! Families are the foundation of our nation! Marriage redefined is marriage destroyed. Destroy marriage and you destroy the nation! To change a foundational stone of Australian morals of the family unit and it’s value system will destroy marriage and families and all they stand for. I am just stating the obvious. Who will give a voice to those who cannot be heard? Who will protect those who cannot defend themselves? Who will be brave for those who are too small? Who will defend our children’s rights?
Now a Government that attempts to change that foundational stone will pay dearly for that and there will be consequences. The Government needs help and divine wisdom on this issue. We, as a people, need to continually pray and ask God to show our Australian Government what to do. The Church needs to be a voice and help in these issues and a continual reminder of what our foundations are and our constitution was built on. As we allow change to crucial issues such as these we then wonder why we have crime rates escalating murder, lawlessness and violence and we do not feel safe in our streets and cities. The decisions we make now will determine our future and its outcomes. As Prophets and Apostolic people we must continue to stand against these injustices. We will not agree with what they are doing and we will not say yes to a foundational change to Australia - not on our watch. So please I beg you to write, email, ring, go with a group of people and speak to your local members in your suburb or city of how this cannot continue to go ahead.
I have quoted some text from what was written in this article by the Canberra Declaration crew and an article from an amazing prophetic voice written by Angela Shanahan for the Australian July 29th 2011 on the Australian national affairs who gets an expert Margret Somerville who is a distinguished legal ethicist on the matter and both of their words speak volumes.
Margret Somerville says and I quote, “marriage exists as a social institution only to protect the children born of a union and give special legal status to the natural family, and homosexual relationships cannot produce children. By abolishing the exclusively heterosexual nature of marriage, the special legal status of the natural family will collapse. Children will suffer,” and Somerville stresses, this includes children conceived, naturally or by biotech connivance, within a same sex relationship because it deprives them of a Father and Mother.
If homosexual relationships are given the same legal status as heterosexual marriages the homosexual lobby will have gained its final moral and legal triumph and according to Somerville, that will mean widespread collateral damage of people’s rights perhaps most peoples. It will become difficult if not illegal to speak out against this. Institutions and individuals that have moral objections to same sex marriage (churches, schools, ministers of religion, teachers, civil marriage celebrants, adoption agencies and so on) will have their rights of speech and association, freedom of conscience, belief and religion, curtailed and possibly eliminated. This has happened in many countries, including Sweden, where speaking out against homosexuality per se has become a hate crime. (If you think it couldn’t happen here, think about the general political correctness surrounding homosexual issues, even before gay marriage has become legal.) MPs are being asked to debate all these issues - homosexual debate and euthanasia debate. Never before have MPs been asked to debate things that, frankly have never been thought of as issues for political debate. The politics of moral issues don’t sit well with most politicians, who have a hard enough time coping with the practical problems of their electorates. It is easy to see why a member forced with say, the collapse of an industry in an electorate and a tax that may force worse, is not going to sweat over gay marriage.”
Nevertheless this is a distraction of the highest degree and as people in a democracy we must stand up for our rights and the foundations on which Australia was built on!
So what do you think? And are you going to do something about it? God put a man and a woman and His laws in place in a marriage and in place for a reason to protect us from harm and heartache and to allow our children to be safe and built on the right foundations.
As the issue of same sex marriage continues and has been allowed already in some states in Australia and overseas, this is a question that needs to be asked is what do you think about it? And what are you going to do about it? There has been a minority group of people trying to destroy the foundations of a majority group of Australian people’s standards and belief system and doing their utmost to get their way as they scream the loudest and petition the MPs in Government continually. Yet there are champions in there also letting their voice be heard debating this issue and not allowing this to proceed any further. But also there is a majority of Australian people who seem to be in this matrix void that it is like they can’t seem to respond or want to respond to this crucial issue and continue to say nothing. Compromise is rampant and sometimes us, as Aussies, seem to put it in the too hard basket, we Aussies leave it open and we do not have an understanding to do something and not be complacent in this issue. I know most people I talk to have a strong opinion about this issue, but why are we not being heard? Martin Luther King was so right to say “for when good men do nothing evil prospers”. Because these minority groups speak the loudest they usually get what they want. Australians must make a stand on these issues and not just let our politicians handle them. The truth is that they are overwhelmed by these moral issues and they are not meant to handle them - the church is. But that’s another issue.
Reality is they are a minority group trying to change the very foundation of Australian Christian Morals and foundations that we are built on and they are standing against the family unit and values. Government are allowing it to happen as all they tend to hear is the minority group. You see if you destroy the foundation of marriage you destroy the family unit and all it stands for. Now if this minority group of people feel the need to marry then they can do it the government would allow them but without necessarily changing the foundations of Australia. But if they have to marry (and it is their choice and their will to do so) then the very thing they are standing for they are destroying. The bottom line is that this is sin and when you sin it will bring death to a thing, which will bring death to the family unit and the very values of family and what marriage stands for. The bottom line is children need a Mother and a Father. In our eagerness to remove so called discrimination amongst adults we end up discriminating against our children. We are losing Australian values and children’s rights are being ignored in this debate. My family and I am passionate to reverse this inequity. You see our kid’s rights count and children need a Mother and a Father. Marriage between a man and a woman is the foundation stone of families! Families are the foundation of our nation! Marriage redefined is marriage destroyed. Destroy marriage and you destroy the nation! To change a foundational stone of Australian morals of the family unit and it’s value system will destroy marriage and families and all they stand for. I am just stating the obvious. Who will give a voice to those who cannot be heard? Who will protect those who cannot defend themselves? Who will be brave for those who are too small? Who will defend our children’s rights?
Now a Government that attempts to change that foundational stone will pay dearly for that and there will be consequences. The Government needs help and divine wisdom on this issue. We, as a people, need to continually pray and ask God to show our Australian Government what to do. The Church needs to be a voice and help in these issues and a continual reminder of what our foundations are and our constitution was built on. As we allow change to crucial issues such as these we then wonder why we have crime rates escalating murder, lawlessness and violence and we do not feel safe in our streets and cities. The decisions we make now will determine our future and its outcomes. As Prophets and Apostolic people we must continue to stand against these injustices. We will not agree with what they are doing and we will not say yes to a foundational change to Australia - not on our watch. So please I beg you to write, email, ring, go with a group of people and speak to your local members in your suburb or city of how this cannot continue to go ahead.
I have quoted some text from what was written in this article by the Canberra Declaration crew and an article from an amazing prophetic voice written by Angela Shanahan for the Australian July 29th 2011 on the Australian national affairs who gets an expert Margret Somerville who is a distinguished legal ethicist on the matter and both of their words speak volumes.
Margret Somerville says and I quote, “marriage exists as a social institution only to protect the children born of a union and give special legal status to the natural family, and homosexual relationships cannot produce children. By abolishing the exclusively heterosexual nature of marriage, the special legal status of the natural family will collapse. Children will suffer,” and Somerville stresses, this includes children conceived, naturally or by biotech connivance, within a same sex relationship because it deprives them of a Father and Mother.
If homosexual relationships are given the same legal status as heterosexual marriages the homosexual lobby will have gained its final moral and legal triumph and according to Somerville, that will mean widespread collateral damage of people’s rights perhaps most peoples. It will become difficult if not illegal to speak out against this. Institutions and individuals that have moral objections to same sex marriage (churches, schools, ministers of religion, teachers, civil marriage celebrants, adoption agencies and so on) will have their rights of speech and association, freedom of conscience, belief and religion, curtailed and possibly eliminated. This has happened in many countries, including Sweden, where speaking out against homosexuality per se has become a hate crime. (If you think it couldn’t happen here, think about the general political correctness surrounding homosexual issues, even before gay marriage has become legal.) MPs are being asked to debate all these issues - homosexual debate and euthanasia debate. Never before have MPs been asked to debate things that, frankly have never been thought of as issues for political debate. The politics of moral issues don’t sit well with most politicians, who have a hard enough time coping with the practical problems of their electorates. It is easy to see why a member forced with say, the collapse of an industry in an electorate and a tax that may force worse, is not going to sweat over gay marriage.”
Nevertheless this is a distraction of the highest degree and as people in a democracy we must stand up for our rights and the foundations on which Australia was built on!
So what do you think? And are you going to do something about it? God put a man and a woman and His laws in place in a marriage and in place for a reason to protect us from harm and heartache and to allow our children to be safe and built on the right foundations.
Wednesday, 14 September 2011
Apostles
by Tony Clark
I was reading 1 Corinthians recently and was impacted while reading Chapter 9:1. Paul is addressing accusations made against him concerning his legitimacy as an Apostle, and the issue of financial support of his ministry by the church at Corinth. In verse 11 it says “If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?”
There is a major issue in the church today concerning this issue and there is much at work that is out of line with the Word of God and the Heart of God. It should be the most natural thing in the Kingdom of God to supply the practical needs of those ministering to you, those that have laid down their lives to serve God where your life is concerned and who have no thought for themselves in doing so. It should be a natural reflex – they supply your spiritual need, you supply their natural need. Giving and receiving, ebb and flow. But as Paul addresses in this chapter, the main issue is not whether or not we should do this but rather the underlying acknowledgement of whether or not those ministering to us are truly sent of God. Certain men had questioned Paul’s legitimacy as an Apostle and in doing so accused him of having ulterior motives for his ministry – in this case that he was motivated by selfish gain.
See, a wolf or a charlatan, has no right or place to claim or receive anything from God’s people. Because their motive is selfish gain and they use deceit to get what they want, by pretending to be a messenger or servant of God they coerce the people out of their money – which is his ultimate goal. And those that are jealous of the true servants of God will accuse and try to delegitimize them so that they don’t get what they are due.
In verse 7 Paul quotes the Old Testament, “Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth the corn.” This is a spiritual law in the kingdom of God. If there is any question in your heart as to whether your leader should be able to receive money for their labour in ministry instead of working in a secular job then it is likely you are delegitimizing the work of the ministry that they do, which ultimately reflects on whether you believe that are genuinely sent by God.
The natural response to the Apostles in the book of Acts was to sell all and lay everything at the feet of the Apostles. It’s what God would have, it’s what the Spirit of God would have. I’m not saying that we should sell our houses and give the money to the church, although that time may very well come again. But it should be a natural response of the children of God to give and support the ministry with our finances – to the degree that we have been shown to give.
People fear being taken for a ride and being cheated, and it does go on, and there are those that are motivated by selfish ambition in the church today. And part of the problem in the past has been that there has not only been a lack of proper giving in the church there has also been a lack of ministry in the earth that would merit this kind of giving. But we need to make sure we are not shut off to God in this, because out of fear we can miss what God is doing and fail to please God in what He requires of us. He has a way of doing things in His church and an order to the way He wants it done, and proper giving is a part of this. If we know that our leader is truly of God and authentic then we need to give freely. If we don’t know, then we need to find out. I feel this is very important. And God requires correct giving and correct honouring of Apostles in this time and the years ahead. We need to be in line with His way of doing things. The leaders of God’s church shouldn’t have to find ways to raise money, or plead with the congregation. God desires us to come to a place where we are able to “give into every good work” and sow as we see need, naturally.
I was reading 1 Corinthians recently and was impacted while reading Chapter 9:1. Paul is addressing accusations made against him concerning his legitimacy as an Apostle, and the issue of financial support of his ministry by the church at Corinth. In verse 11 it says “If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?”
There is a major issue in the church today concerning this issue and there is much at work that is out of line with the Word of God and the Heart of God. It should be the most natural thing in the Kingdom of God to supply the practical needs of those ministering to you, those that have laid down their lives to serve God where your life is concerned and who have no thought for themselves in doing so. It should be a natural reflex – they supply your spiritual need, you supply their natural need. Giving and receiving, ebb and flow. But as Paul addresses in this chapter, the main issue is not whether or not we should do this but rather the underlying acknowledgement of whether or not those ministering to us are truly sent of God. Certain men had questioned Paul’s legitimacy as an Apostle and in doing so accused him of having ulterior motives for his ministry – in this case that he was motivated by selfish gain.
See, a wolf or a charlatan, has no right or place to claim or receive anything from God’s people. Because their motive is selfish gain and they use deceit to get what they want, by pretending to be a messenger or servant of God they coerce the people out of their money – which is his ultimate goal. And those that are jealous of the true servants of God will accuse and try to delegitimize them so that they don’t get what they are due.
In verse 7 Paul quotes the Old Testament, “Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth the corn.” This is a spiritual law in the kingdom of God. If there is any question in your heart as to whether your leader should be able to receive money for their labour in ministry instead of working in a secular job then it is likely you are delegitimizing the work of the ministry that they do, which ultimately reflects on whether you believe that are genuinely sent by God.
The natural response to the Apostles in the book of Acts was to sell all and lay everything at the feet of the Apostles. It’s what God would have, it’s what the Spirit of God would have. I’m not saying that we should sell our houses and give the money to the church, although that time may very well come again. But it should be a natural response of the children of God to give and support the ministry with our finances – to the degree that we have been shown to give.
People fear being taken for a ride and being cheated, and it does go on, and there are those that are motivated by selfish ambition in the church today. And part of the problem in the past has been that there has not only been a lack of proper giving in the church there has also been a lack of ministry in the earth that would merit this kind of giving. But we need to make sure we are not shut off to God in this, because out of fear we can miss what God is doing and fail to please God in what He requires of us. He has a way of doing things in His church and an order to the way He wants it done, and proper giving is a part of this. If we know that our leader is truly of God and authentic then we need to give freely. If we don’t know, then we need to find out. I feel this is very important. And God requires correct giving and correct honouring of Apostles in this time and the years ahead. We need to be in line with His way of doing things. The leaders of God’s church shouldn’t have to find ways to raise money, or plead with the congregation. God desires us to come to a place where we are able to “give into every good work” and sow as we see need, naturally.
Monday, 12 September 2011
Stop! Consider!
by Glenice Mills
Stop!!! Consider!!!
We are in the midst of changing times, for us to get an understanding of it we need to know we are positioned exactly where the Lord wants us to be, so we can be most effective in advancing His kingdom here on earth.
We are in a season of grace, of His grace, to seek Him for revelation of where and how He is wanting to use each of us in such a time as this.
Old ways of doing things, staying in our comfort zones, and clinging onto those things that have given us security will no longer suffice. That is why it is time to stop, and to consider. To consider means to think or deliberate in order to decide, it is to contemplate mentally especially in order to reach a conclusion. How can we do this if we are too busy and too distracted to actually hear, and begin to put into action the new thing the Lord is requiring of us in these times and the times to come. It is about being prepared for the ‘very shortly’ because very shortly we won’t have the same opportunities the Lord is giving to us now. Perhaps one of the most dangerous times and places to be, is where we think we know best, where we are like the ‘fat cat with a happy contented smile on its face because it ‘feels good’. It has grown fat on the good things of life forgetting that one day it may not be so comfortable.
We know there is a shaking taking place in many areas of society at this time and it is being done by God’s hands. So, if we are too busy, how can we know what He is requiring of us both individually and corporately when we are caught in the ‘mouse on a wheel’ syndrome? We will tire and get burnt out, making us ineffective, and setting us up to be easy targets of the enemy. That is what the enemy wants and we must be more on guard than ever before because he hates what is happening to many of God’s people at this time. There are pressures put on us by God because He is wanting to arrest us in order to get our attention, and there is pressure from the enemy that is designed to derail us from the purposes of God. That is why we must stop and take time to consider. Many are in a season of meditating and waiting on God. This may seem a ‘waste of time’ however nothing, that is, no thing is ever wasted in God. That is man’s judgments and opinions. However when we consider, it is about reaching a conclusion and putting a plan into action. As the Lord has been speaking to me and as I have been walking in learning to ‘consider’ there are two key words that have come out of this time of considering. They are crucial for what is coming in the days ahead but they are also a challenge to what we have known, and held onto dearly. There are times when I feel the weight of what the Lord is saying and this is such a time and such a word. I pray that you would not take this lightly when you read it, but go and consider and seek the Lord as to what He is wanting to change and adjust in your life.
The two key words are CALLING and COST. The reality is the two go hand in hand. You cannot come into your true calling in God without there being a cost involved.
CALLING:
There are many in the body of Christ that God is ‘arresting’ at this time because He is wanting to get our attention. Many are in dire straights, things are not working out for them, and it appears that no door is opening. They are quite literally between a rock and a hard place. That is because the Lord is wanting them to stop, and to consider.
There is a terrible sense of helplessness, of vulnerability, of frustration because it appears that things are inactive and there seems no advancement or apparent way forward. Hopelessness has taken root and it is like being in a dark tunnel with no light to guide a way forward. There appears to be no direction ahead and it feels like the blind leading the blind. It is easy to believe the lie of the enemy that ‘you have missed it’ and feel burdened by what appears as a negative thing. However, the truth is, the Lord knows the perfect plan for our lives and He is organising and arranging us so we are positioned, ready for the days of battle. There are many in the body of Christ who have been in the wrong position in the workplace, where they live, or church they are a part of, and that has been alright for a time, but it is changing. That is why the discomfort, because there is an urgency for many to come out of, and away from, what has held them back. It is a divine time of repositioning because it is about coming into the high calling of God, of His kingdom purposes for our lives.
The following Scripture is for this time and together we should pray that we each come into our destinies in Him.
2 Thessalonians 1:11,12
Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of the faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
COST:
For us to fulfil our destinies there will be a cost. It is about the divine exchange that needs to take place in order to move in our calling. There is a serious requirement on us all at this time to consider if we are prepared to give up some things in order to come into a greater measure of His call on our lives. A divine exchange is and will be the constant challenge for us in these times. Exchange means the act or process of giving one thing and receiving another in its place. It is about complete surrender of our lives to Him. It is about giving up some things in our lives in order for the Lordship of Jesus Christ to have greater rulership in our lives. It will involve change: change in our attitudes, behaviours, relationships, securities, habits, cultural ways, in order to bring the ‘higher way’ into every area of our lives. It is about being a true follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are instructed in the Word to take up our cross daily, and for us to be who we are called to be the cross of Jesus Christ will and must be central to all we say and do. It is about our individual and corporate obedience to the leading of the Lord!
There is an urgency, it is time to consider how serious we are about serving God and how much we are prepared to give up in order to be true men and women of God.
We have choices and now is the time to consider what the Lord is requiring of us.
Are you positioned for growth both personally and spiritually?
What is the passion of your heart? Are you preparing to move toward fulfilling the passion or have you given up on it because you don’t think it has any merit?
Do you talk yourself out of your passion, negating every move forward in order to bring about its fulfilment. Maybe there is someone dependent on you actually coming into correct position, coming into your call so they can be blessed by your unique expression of the Lord? Maybe there is a window of opportunity open to you right now and you are considering your options? It is not about ‘your options’ but rather about whether or not you are prepared to give some things up. Maybe in the natural it does not make sense, but the passion and urgency won’t go away.
Perhaps you had a dream and hope of it ever coming to pass has died. You have lost your passion and your vision has been snuffed out perhaps by others blocking and stopping its fulfilment. Time is short and you may be the crucial person needed to bring something to fruition. You dare not hold back because you will feel burning frustration that will eat away at your vision bringing increasing discontent.
These are serious things to consider!!!
The Lord has a plan and a strategy for you to come into all He has planned and destined for your life. He does not want you to give up hope and He does not want you to hold back from being all He has called you to.
Remember:
Jeremiah 20:11
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Can I encourage you to consider your future direction. It will mean stopping and considering where you are right now and seeking the Lord for the way forward in your life. It will take time aside with God, and it may require change in your life, but the rewards of walking in His will for your life will bring peace and rest to you.
The Lord is raising up His army, ones who have counted the cost, who have been obedient to all that He is requiring at this time. There have been many tests for these ones to pass but the time of increasing reward for faithfulness is near.
Do not lose hope!!! The time is near for the fulfilment of your dreams!!!
I want to finish on the following Scripture as it gives us keys to keep us on track.
Consider it.
Ephesians 4:1-4
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Amen!!!
Stop!!! Consider!!!
We are in the midst of changing times, for us to get an understanding of it we need to know we are positioned exactly where the Lord wants us to be, so we can be most effective in advancing His kingdom here on earth.
We are in a season of grace, of His grace, to seek Him for revelation of where and how He is wanting to use each of us in such a time as this.
Old ways of doing things, staying in our comfort zones, and clinging onto those things that have given us security will no longer suffice. That is why it is time to stop, and to consider. To consider means to think or deliberate in order to decide, it is to contemplate mentally especially in order to reach a conclusion. How can we do this if we are too busy and too distracted to actually hear, and begin to put into action the new thing the Lord is requiring of us in these times and the times to come. It is about being prepared for the ‘very shortly’ because very shortly we won’t have the same opportunities the Lord is giving to us now. Perhaps one of the most dangerous times and places to be, is where we think we know best, where we are like the ‘fat cat with a happy contented smile on its face because it ‘feels good’. It has grown fat on the good things of life forgetting that one day it may not be so comfortable.
We know there is a shaking taking place in many areas of society at this time and it is being done by God’s hands. So, if we are too busy, how can we know what He is requiring of us both individually and corporately when we are caught in the ‘mouse on a wheel’ syndrome? We will tire and get burnt out, making us ineffective, and setting us up to be easy targets of the enemy. That is what the enemy wants and we must be more on guard than ever before because he hates what is happening to many of God’s people at this time. There are pressures put on us by God because He is wanting to arrest us in order to get our attention, and there is pressure from the enemy that is designed to derail us from the purposes of God. That is why we must stop and take time to consider. Many are in a season of meditating and waiting on God. This may seem a ‘waste of time’ however nothing, that is, no thing is ever wasted in God. That is man’s judgments and opinions. However when we consider, it is about reaching a conclusion and putting a plan into action. As the Lord has been speaking to me and as I have been walking in learning to ‘consider’ there are two key words that have come out of this time of considering. They are crucial for what is coming in the days ahead but they are also a challenge to what we have known, and held onto dearly. There are times when I feel the weight of what the Lord is saying and this is such a time and such a word. I pray that you would not take this lightly when you read it, but go and consider and seek the Lord as to what He is wanting to change and adjust in your life.
The two key words are CALLING and COST. The reality is the two go hand in hand. You cannot come into your true calling in God without there being a cost involved.
CALLING:
There are many in the body of Christ that God is ‘arresting’ at this time because He is wanting to get our attention. Many are in dire straights, things are not working out for them, and it appears that no door is opening. They are quite literally between a rock and a hard place. That is because the Lord is wanting them to stop, and to consider.
There is a terrible sense of helplessness, of vulnerability, of frustration because it appears that things are inactive and there seems no advancement or apparent way forward. Hopelessness has taken root and it is like being in a dark tunnel with no light to guide a way forward. There appears to be no direction ahead and it feels like the blind leading the blind. It is easy to believe the lie of the enemy that ‘you have missed it’ and feel burdened by what appears as a negative thing. However, the truth is, the Lord knows the perfect plan for our lives and He is organising and arranging us so we are positioned, ready for the days of battle. There are many in the body of Christ who have been in the wrong position in the workplace, where they live, or church they are a part of, and that has been alright for a time, but it is changing. That is why the discomfort, because there is an urgency for many to come out of, and away from, what has held them back. It is a divine time of repositioning because it is about coming into the high calling of God, of His kingdom purposes for our lives.
The following Scripture is for this time and together we should pray that we each come into our destinies in Him.
2 Thessalonians 1:11,12
Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of the faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
COST:
For us to fulfil our destinies there will be a cost. It is about the divine exchange that needs to take place in order to move in our calling. There is a serious requirement on us all at this time to consider if we are prepared to give up some things in order to come into a greater measure of His call on our lives. A divine exchange is and will be the constant challenge for us in these times. Exchange means the act or process of giving one thing and receiving another in its place. It is about complete surrender of our lives to Him. It is about giving up some things in our lives in order for the Lordship of Jesus Christ to have greater rulership in our lives. It will involve change: change in our attitudes, behaviours, relationships, securities, habits, cultural ways, in order to bring the ‘higher way’ into every area of our lives. It is about being a true follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are instructed in the Word to take up our cross daily, and for us to be who we are called to be the cross of Jesus Christ will and must be central to all we say and do. It is about our individual and corporate obedience to the leading of the Lord!
There is an urgency, it is time to consider how serious we are about serving God and how much we are prepared to give up in order to be true men and women of God.
We have choices and now is the time to consider what the Lord is requiring of us.
Are you positioned for growth both personally and spiritually?
What is the passion of your heart? Are you preparing to move toward fulfilling the passion or have you given up on it because you don’t think it has any merit?
Do you talk yourself out of your passion, negating every move forward in order to bring about its fulfilment. Maybe there is someone dependent on you actually coming into correct position, coming into your call so they can be blessed by your unique expression of the Lord? Maybe there is a window of opportunity open to you right now and you are considering your options? It is not about ‘your options’ but rather about whether or not you are prepared to give some things up. Maybe in the natural it does not make sense, but the passion and urgency won’t go away.
Perhaps you had a dream and hope of it ever coming to pass has died. You have lost your passion and your vision has been snuffed out perhaps by others blocking and stopping its fulfilment. Time is short and you may be the crucial person needed to bring something to fruition. You dare not hold back because you will feel burning frustration that will eat away at your vision bringing increasing discontent.
These are serious things to consider!!!
The Lord has a plan and a strategy for you to come into all He has planned and destined for your life. He does not want you to give up hope and He does not want you to hold back from being all He has called you to.
Remember:
Jeremiah 20:11
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Can I encourage you to consider your future direction. It will mean stopping and considering where you are right now and seeking the Lord for the way forward in your life. It will take time aside with God, and it may require change in your life, but the rewards of walking in His will for your life will bring peace and rest to you.
The Lord is raising up His army, ones who have counted the cost, who have been obedient to all that He is requiring at this time. There have been many tests for these ones to pass but the time of increasing reward for faithfulness is near.
Do not lose hope!!! The time is near for the fulfilment of your dreams!!!
I want to finish on the following Scripture as it gives us keys to keep us on track.
Consider it.
Ephesians 4:1-4
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Amen!!!
Saturday, 20 August 2011
How Can It Be?
by Glenice Mills
HOW CAN IT BE? HOW CAN IT BE?
HOW DID IT COME TO THIS?
HOW DID IT COME TO THIS?
There is a heart cry from all around the world questioning: ‘How can it be?’
I saw peoples of many nations bewildered by what they see happening in their own country. They are asking questions, and crying out to God.
They have no understanding of what is happening and they are searching for answers.
I saw their faces: bewildered, fearful, questioning.
Accompanying what I saw, was a strong sense of bewilderment, of disbelief. They are perplexed and confused, nothing makes sense anymore. All they have known and held dear is being stripped from them, there is nothing they can control. Everything appears to be free-falling and the sense of helplessness is overpowering.
What they have put their trust in has failed, it has or is coming to nothing.
We are seeing the characteristics of some nations being turned upside down and the opposite of what they ‘appear’ is manifesting. Following are some examples.
England: A respectable, well mannered, polite people.
Norway: A peaceful nation, with a peace loving people.
America: A world leader, wealthy, prosperous, founded on Christian principles.
Greece: A happy people, who love life.
We see something different happening now, and in recent weeks. Things are happening quickly and nothing is staying on an even keel any longer.
England: Lawless, rebellious, with a lot of hatred and prejudice being expressed.
Norway: This nation has been shaken to its core in recent times as the underbelly of what is truly going on is coming to light. Yes one man went on a rampage, however, it is appearing there are sects operating in the seat of a peaceful country.
America: There is growing discontent, poverty is increasing, all is not what it seems with increasing unemployment, downturn in the economy and the ongoing challenge for world leadership by China. It has lost its top credit rating and is being seen as a nation on an economic downturn heading into recession. All is not as it seems in America.
Greece: It’s people are rising up against their government for poor economic management and they are resisting the changes to their personal circumstances because of this. What were once seen as a happy people is being revealed with increasing discontent and disillusionment, with the people fighting back.
This is also happening in other European nations.
The Middle Eastern nations are in a constant state of unrest, with people power rising up against wrong government leadership.
This should not surprise most Christians as we know these are signs of the end of the age. However even among Christians there is a questioning: How can it be?
The Lord has been speaking to me about what He is doing and He wants to bring some understanding as to what is happening on the earth at this time.
We also need to be mindful of nations such as Japan and New Zealand who have experienced serious damage from earthquakes, and many cities in Australia have experienced serious flooding in recent times. There are other nations teetering on the edge of financial ruin, with increasing unrest on the streets of many major cities and towns. Africa is in the grip of drought, and lawlessness is on the increase, and this is only what the general populace knows about. So much more is happening insidiously in Africa that is not heard or spoken of.
We could at this point give up and go ‘Everything looks impossible. We are all on the road to ruination.’ Negativity, depression, and disillusionment could have a foothold at this time, however, we must come back to enquiring what the Lord is saying and doing. Nothing gets past Him, nothing surprises Him, and we need to know what is happening and what may be required of us to bring hope, and vision to a dying world.
Perhaps we need to ask the question: what has brought us to this point where we are wondering ‘how can it be?’
The word how means: to search by what means or in what manner and for what reason something happens. The Lord will always show us what He is doing!
There are two key words that the Lord has been speaking to me about.
PERCEPTION: This is a feeling, impression, and sense of something. Unfortunately we can all be lulled into a sense of false comfort, relying on government leaders to lead us, keeping our nations in peace. Perhaps we have relinquished some power because we have placed too much trust in leaders thinking they are wanting the best for us. We can deceive ourselves into believing that ‘all is well’ and allow the world to pass us by. We fall into the trap of only listening to the positive things happening in our country, and become drawn in by whatever the media is trying to tell us, in order to keep us all in a false sense of peace. We perceive everything through our eyes of contentment, security and seeing what we want to see, discarding what is unpleasant to confront. That will trip us up and make us fall.
That is why many are crying out ‘how can it be?’ and ‘how did it come to this?’
EXPECTATION: Expectation is to believe that a particular thing will take place, it is to suppose or presume. There is always an anticipation about what is going to happen.
Sadly many who are crying out ‘how can it be?’ had expectations that certain positive things were going to happen, that all would be well, and there is no need for concern.
That has also lulled people into a false sense of security, peace and ‘normality’.
This is all a façade, and what is happening in many countries is the ‘mask’. The evil underbelly is now being exposed. In fact what the Lord is doing is actually revealing the ‘TRUE HEART OF A NATION’. This is not a negative thing, and in fact is a reality check, a bit like a doctor’s check up to see what is going wrong deep down, that is hidden.
The good news is there is a cure, there is healing and restoration coming if the people will humble themselves, repent, turn from their wicked ways and ask the Lord for His healing power to come.
So what has set many of these nations to fall, to come to the brink of anarchy, ruin and financial devastation?
Scripture gives us some keys that bring understanding and insight to what the Lord is saying and doing.
Isaiah 5:20
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
Unfortunately lawlessness is increasing in many nations because many have come under the lie that it is ‘cool,’ and in some perverse way a fun thing to inflict damage, to steal and to treat other’s belongings and lives with utter contempt. Life has no value therefore it is somehow deemed as alright to kill or maim another. The lie that good is evil and evil is good has surreptitiously crept in over past years and we have blithely accepted it as truth. We are now reaping consequences to this and we should not be surprised. We have forgotten it is God’s mighty restraining hand that is keeping things in order and holding all things together. As we have lost what it is to walk in the true fear of the Lord, our consciences have become seared and we have subtly embraced compromise, living a lie. We slowly come to believe we are as god drawing on our own ways and means in order to live our lives. At its worst we will believe there is no god and will be completely reliant on our own resources.
Isaiah 64:12
Will you restrain Yourself because of these things, O Lord?
Will You hold Your peace, and afflict us very severely?
This is a wake up call to us all, particularly to the church. The Lord is challenging what we put our trust in. For too long we have trusted in our own ways and as we are seeing they are not working.
Psalm 20:7-9
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses;
But we will remember the name of the Lord our God.
They have bowed down and fallen;
But we have risen and stand upright.
Save Lord!
May the King answer us when we call.
However as we know there is a better way, the way ‘through’ with the Lord Jesus Christ as our ever present help in times of trouble. We need Him like never before!
The true heart of a nation is being exposed at this time, we are seeing the good and the evil in people coming to the fore. This is a sign from the Lord. He is and will in coming times expose in greater measure the true heart of His church. He will expose the sins of His people, of His church leaders and ones He has positioned in areas of governance and authority. We will see a greater revealing of conviction of sin among God’s people as they learn to truly walk in the spirit of the fear of the Lord. Some evil corrupt practices will be exposed as the hearts of man will be revealed in a greater measure. We will not be able to get away with what we have in the past. What is happening in the world is a reflection of the church and if we have eyes to see we must seriously ask ourselves what it is He is wanting to show us, adjust and change in our hearts and lives so we can be a people of power, ready to share the gospel with those who need His love and forgiveness.
Ezekiel 24:14
I, the Lord, have spoken it;
It shall come to pass, and I will do it;
I will not hold back,
Nor will I spare,
Nor will I relent;
According to your ways
And according to your deeds
I will judge you.”
Says the Lord God.”
HOW CAN IT BE? HOW CAN IT BE?
HOW DID IT COME TO THIS?
HOW DID IT COME TO THIS?
There is a heart cry from all around the world questioning: ‘How can it be?’
I saw peoples of many nations bewildered by what they see happening in their own country. They are asking questions, and crying out to God.
They have no understanding of what is happening and they are searching for answers.
I saw their faces: bewildered, fearful, questioning.
Accompanying what I saw, was a strong sense of bewilderment, of disbelief. They are perplexed and confused, nothing makes sense anymore. All they have known and held dear is being stripped from them, there is nothing they can control. Everything appears to be free-falling and the sense of helplessness is overpowering.
What they have put their trust in has failed, it has or is coming to nothing.
We are seeing the characteristics of some nations being turned upside down and the opposite of what they ‘appear’ is manifesting. Following are some examples.
England: A respectable, well mannered, polite people.
Norway: A peaceful nation, with a peace loving people.
America: A world leader, wealthy, prosperous, founded on Christian principles.
Greece: A happy people, who love life.
We see something different happening now, and in recent weeks. Things are happening quickly and nothing is staying on an even keel any longer.
England: Lawless, rebellious, with a lot of hatred and prejudice being expressed.
Norway: This nation has been shaken to its core in recent times as the underbelly of what is truly going on is coming to light. Yes one man went on a rampage, however, it is appearing there are sects operating in the seat of a peaceful country.
America: There is growing discontent, poverty is increasing, all is not what it seems with increasing unemployment, downturn in the economy and the ongoing challenge for world leadership by China. It has lost its top credit rating and is being seen as a nation on an economic downturn heading into recession. All is not as it seems in America.
Greece: It’s people are rising up against their government for poor economic management and they are resisting the changes to their personal circumstances because of this. What were once seen as a happy people is being revealed with increasing discontent and disillusionment, with the people fighting back.
This is also happening in other European nations.
The Middle Eastern nations are in a constant state of unrest, with people power rising up against wrong government leadership.
This should not surprise most Christians as we know these are signs of the end of the age. However even among Christians there is a questioning: How can it be?
The Lord has been speaking to me about what He is doing and He wants to bring some understanding as to what is happening on the earth at this time.
We also need to be mindful of nations such as Japan and New Zealand who have experienced serious damage from earthquakes, and many cities in Australia have experienced serious flooding in recent times. There are other nations teetering on the edge of financial ruin, with increasing unrest on the streets of many major cities and towns. Africa is in the grip of drought, and lawlessness is on the increase, and this is only what the general populace knows about. So much more is happening insidiously in Africa that is not heard or spoken of.
We could at this point give up and go ‘Everything looks impossible. We are all on the road to ruination.’ Negativity, depression, and disillusionment could have a foothold at this time, however, we must come back to enquiring what the Lord is saying and doing. Nothing gets past Him, nothing surprises Him, and we need to know what is happening and what may be required of us to bring hope, and vision to a dying world.
Perhaps we need to ask the question: what has brought us to this point where we are wondering ‘how can it be?’
The word how means: to search by what means or in what manner and for what reason something happens. The Lord will always show us what He is doing!
There are two key words that the Lord has been speaking to me about.
PERCEPTION: This is a feeling, impression, and sense of something. Unfortunately we can all be lulled into a sense of false comfort, relying on government leaders to lead us, keeping our nations in peace. Perhaps we have relinquished some power because we have placed too much trust in leaders thinking they are wanting the best for us. We can deceive ourselves into believing that ‘all is well’ and allow the world to pass us by. We fall into the trap of only listening to the positive things happening in our country, and become drawn in by whatever the media is trying to tell us, in order to keep us all in a false sense of peace. We perceive everything through our eyes of contentment, security and seeing what we want to see, discarding what is unpleasant to confront. That will trip us up and make us fall.
That is why many are crying out ‘how can it be?’ and ‘how did it come to this?’
EXPECTATION: Expectation is to believe that a particular thing will take place, it is to suppose or presume. There is always an anticipation about what is going to happen.
Sadly many who are crying out ‘how can it be?’ had expectations that certain positive things were going to happen, that all would be well, and there is no need for concern.
That has also lulled people into a false sense of security, peace and ‘normality’.
This is all a façade, and what is happening in many countries is the ‘mask’. The evil underbelly is now being exposed. In fact what the Lord is doing is actually revealing the ‘TRUE HEART OF A NATION’. This is not a negative thing, and in fact is a reality check, a bit like a doctor’s check up to see what is going wrong deep down, that is hidden.
The good news is there is a cure, there is healing and restoration coming if the people will humble themselves, repent, turn from their wicked ways and ask the Lord for His healing power to come.
So what has set many of these nations to fall, to come to the brink of anarchy, ruin and financial devastation?
Scripture gives us some keys that bring understanding and insight to what the Lord is saying and doing.
Isaiah 5:20
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
Unfortunately lawlessness is increasing in many nations because many have come under the lie that it is ‘cool,’ and in some perverse way a fun thing to inflict damage, to steal and to treat other’s belongings and lives with utter contempt. Life has no value therefore it is somehow deemed as alright to kill or maim another. The lie that good is evil and evil is good has surreptitiously crept in over past years and we have blithely accepted it as truth. We are now reaping consequences to this and we should not be surprised. We have forgotten it is God’s mighty restraining hand that is keeping things in order and holding all things together. As we have lost what it is to walk in the true fear of the Lord, our consciences have become seared and we have subtly embraced compromise, living a lie. We slowly come to believe we are as god drawing on our own ways and means in order to live our lives. At its worst we will believe there is no god and will be completely reliant on our own resources.
Isaiah 64:12
Will you restrain Yourself because of these things, O Lord?
Will You hold Your peace, and afflict us very severely?
This is a wake up call to us all, particularly to the church. The Lord is challenging what we put our trust in. For too long we have trusted in our own ways and as we are seeing they are not working.
Psalm 20:7-9
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses;
But we will remember the name of the Lord our God.
They have bowed down and fallen;
But we have risen and stand upright.
Save Lord!
May the King answer us when we call.
However as we know there is a better way, the way ‘through’ with the Lord Jesus Christ as our ever present help in times of trouble. We need Him like never before!
The true heart of a nation is being exposed at this time, we are seeing the good and the evil in people coming to the fore. This is a sign from the Lord. He is and will in coming times expose in greater measure the true heart of His church. He will expose the sins of His people, of His church leaders and ones He has positioned in areas of governance and authority. We will see a greater revealing of conviction of sin among God’s people as they learn to truly walk in the spirit of the fear of the Lord. Some evil corrupt practices will be exposed as the hearts of man will be revealed in a greater measure. We will not be able to get away with what we have in the past. What is happening in the world is a reflection of the church and if we have eyes to see we must seriously ask ourselves what it is He is wanting to show us, adjust and change in our hearts and lives so we can be a people of power, ready to share the gospel with those who need His love and forgiveness.
Ezekiel 24:14
I, the Lord, have spoken it;
It shall come to pass, and I will do it;
I will not hold back,
Nor will I spare,
Nor will I relent;
According to your ways
And according to your deeds
I will judge you.”
Says the Lord God.”
A Word for Australia (Part 11a): The Great Religious Divide
Part Eleven (a) of previous articles:
Part 1 + Part 2 + Part 3 + Part 4 + Part 5 + Part 6 + Part 7 + Part 8 + Part 9 + Part 10
An Alert to the Church in Australia
by Glenice Mills
"JESUS, A PROPHET OF ISLAM." (?)
Stop and think what this is saying!
This statement has gone up recently as a billboard, put up by the muslims to supposedly build bridges between the muslims and Christians of this nation. This is a most offensive, dangerous statement against the Christian church of Australia.
Just reading this statement should raise the ire of every Christian in this nation.
Our Christian heritage and our future heritage as a Christian nation is being severely threatened.
The LORDSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST has been challenged!!!
This is a war of words! Words have power to sway the opinion of a nation. If we see enough words over and over again we will begin to believe them, and then start accepting them as truth. Finally we will believe the words and what they stand for will be accepted as fact. This is a spiritual war! This is a battle, a contending between Truth and religious lies. The name of the Lord has been brought into disrepute. If the opinions of the people can be swayed enough, deception creeps in. Spiritual blindness will come upon this nation. This is why these words: Jesus is a prophet of Islam MUST be challenged.
Firstly we need to look at this from the muslim’s perspective. This in no way condones their viewpoint, however we need to see where they are coming from in order to understand what is happening here in this nation. They believe they are speaking religious tolerance by acknowledging the name of Jesus and recognising His position as a prophet. This is bringing what they think is our Jesus and claiming Him as like one of their own. They are bringing Jesus and adding Him to the mix of the Islam doctrine. This cannot be further from the truth! This is trying to sway the opinion of the masses to believe a lie: that Jesus is a prophet, but a prophet lower than their great prophet Mohammed. It is not unifying but bringing a widening gap between the muslims and Christians of this nation. This is coming from the foundation that ‘all religions’ are the same, and we should come together as one. It is built on the false doctrine of all religions are equal. Again I need to emphasise this is not about people, it is about what they believe, it is a doctrinal divide. The religious divide will increase in coming days as the schism, the separation becomes more noticeable. It will be a them and us battle. This has already been happening recently over the issues of wearing the burqa in public places and having defined areas for muslim women to swim. We are also seeing a greater push for sharia law to have its place in our justice system. It is subtle, but it is a threat to our way of life, to our Christian values. It is not only a religious issue but a human rights issue, about freedom for women to be all they are meant to be. It is a case of the loud minority lauding it over the silent majority. We must speak up!
The body of Christ MUST know what they believe, stand firm and speak truth!
In coming times the Christian faith will be challenged, it is happening already, however it is minor compared to what lies ahead. There is much talk about ‘religious tolerance.’ If we accept everybody’s beliefs then we will maintain peace and keep the status quo. Is this what the Lord is requiring of us in these days and times? I think not! Are we going to sit back and let the Lordship of Jesus Christ be challenged?
We need to know what we stand for and what we are going to tolerate. This is standing for truth. Religious tolerance are buzz words being spoken at this time. So what is tolerance? Tolerance is a willingness or ability to tolerate. It is the quality or practice of accepting or being fair towards beliefs, and customs which are different from one’s own. To tolerate is to allow the existence or occurrence of, without authoritative interference.
Perhaps tolerance could actually be described as a form of compromise. It is compromise in disguise. If we tolerate something we have given our wills over to another in agreement with what they believe. By doing this we in fact compromise. If we take the middle ground, careful to keep the peace, are we not in fact coming in agreement with ungodly doctrine? By our silence are we not condoning these false religious practices? We need to ask ourselves in these times in history what are we, the church going to agree with? Are we going to stand for something or fall for everything?
That is the challenge ahead for us in the body of Christ! Who are we going to serve? Are we going to bow the knee to every false doctrine, every false belief system just to ‘keep the peace.’ Is this even a way of God? No! What is the Lord requiring of us in these days and times? We need to seek Him, know what is on His heart, and what He is after in His people. It will cost us our reputations, and it will bring a division between those who will count the cost and those who choose to compromise His word and His truth.
Sadly the church has agreed with a lot of teachings about a Jesus but is it about the Truth, Jesus Christ who shed His blood on the cross at Calvary for our sins?
There is a lot of recognition and acceptance of many expressions of Jesus but they are often in fact worship of false “Christs”. If we add the muslim view of who and how they see Jesus to the mix of their religion, it will be a false christ. It cannot be Truth unless and until there is acknowledgment of the shed blood of Jesus Christ for our sins. No other ‘prophet’ can forgive sin, no other prophet is the Son of God, and there is no one who can come to salvation without acknowledging the Lord Jesus Christ and what He did for us at Calvary!!! That is why we cannot and must not come into agreement with any false beliefs. Yes Jesus is love. He loves all of us, and wants us all, to come to relationship with Him. He wants us to come into freedom, into revelation of the forgiveness of sin, and to a knowledge that He loves and cares for us. It has always, and will always be about us returning to Him, acknowledging our need of Him and coming back to a deeper relationship with Him.
Philippians 2:9-11
Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Scripture warns us that in the last days many will believe in false “Christs” and that their ears will be tickled as people believe what they want to believe. There will be a division between those who stand for truth and those who bow to the lies of the enemy. That is why we must stand guard, ever watchful, for the enemy is indeed ready to pounce on the unsuspecting and innocent.
Matthew 24:23-25
Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it.
For false “Christs” and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See I have told you beforehand.
This is the Lord Jesus speaking, warning us of false “Christs” and false prophets rising.
Be alert! We are witnessing change in this nation and we must speak against the lies of the enemy. We must stand for Truth. We have a choice, and the choice is ours today, who will we serve, Jesus Christ or false gods. This is opportunity for us to be spurred on into action. Can I encourage you to rise up, to speak out for truth, and to be a voice opposing all that would bring the name of Jesus Christ into disrepute.
He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!!! He wants Lordship over our lives individually and corporately!!! Most importantly He wants to be Lord over this nation, His nation, Australia!!!
Part 1 + Part 2 + Part 3 + Part 4 + Part 5 + Part 6 + Part 7 + Part 8 + Part 9 + Part 10
An Alert to the Church in Australia
by Glenice Mills
"JESUS, A PROPHET OF ISLAM." (?)
Stop and think what this is saying!
This statement has gone up recently as a billboard, put up by the muslims to supposedly build bridges between the muslims and Christians of this nation. This is a most offensive, dangerous statement against the Christian church of Australia.
Just reading this statement should raise the ire of every Christian in this nation.
Our Christian heritage and our future heritage as a Christian nation is being severely threatened.
The LORDSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST has been challenged!!!
This is a war of words! Words have power to sway the opinion of a nation. If we see enough words over and over again we will begin to believe them, and then start accepting them as truth. Finally we will believe the words and what they stand for will be accepted as fact. This is a spiritual war! This is a battle, a contending between Truth and religious lies. The name of the Lord has been brought into disrepute. If the opinions of the people can be swayed enough, deception creeps in. Spiritual blindness will come upon this nation. This is why these words: Jesus is a prophet of Islam MUST be challenged.
Firstly we need to look at this from the muslim’s perspective. This in no way condones their viewpoint, however we need to see where they are coming from in order to understand what is happening here in this nation. They believe they are speaking religious tolerance by acknowledging the name of Jesus and recognising His position as a prophet. This is bringing what they think is our Jesus and claiming Him as like one of their own. They are bringing Jesus and adding Him to the mix of the Islam doctrine. This cannot be further from the truth! This is trying to sway the opinion of the masses to believe a lie: that Jesus is a prophet, but a prophet lower than their great prophet Mohammed. It is not unifying but bringing a widening gap between the muslims and Christians of this nation. This is coming from the foundation that ‘all religions’ are the same, and we should come together as one. It is built on the false doctrine of all religions are equal. Again I need to emphasise this is not about people, it is about what they believe, it is a doctrinal divide. The religious divide will increase in coming days as the schism, the separation becomes more noticeable. It will be a them and us battle. This has already been happening recently over the issues of wearing the burqa in public places and having defined areas for muslim women to swim. We are also seeing a greater push for sharia law to have its place in our justice system. It is subtle, but it is a threat to our way of life, to our Christian values. It is not only a religious issue but a human rights issue, about freedom for women to be all they are meant to be. It is a case of the loud minority lauding it over the silent majority. We must speak up!
The body of Christ MUST know what they believe, stand firm and speak truth!
In coming times the Christian faith will be challenged, it is happening already, however it is minor compared to what lies ahead. There is much talk about ‘religious tolerance.’ If we accept everybody’s beliefs then we will maintain peace and keep the status quo. Is this what the Lord is requiring of us in these days and times? I think not! Are we going to sit back and let the Lordship of Jesus Christ be challenged?
We need to know what we stand for and what we are going to tolerate. This is standing for truth. Religious tolerance are buzz words being spoken at this time. So what is tolerance? Tolerance is a willingness or ability to tolerate. It is the quality or practice of accepting or being fair towards beliefs, and customs which are different from one’s own. To tolerate is to allow the existence or occurrence of, without authoritative interference.
Perhaps tolerance could actually be described as a form of compromise. It is compromise in disguise. If we tolerate something we have given our wills over to another in agreement with what they believe. By doing this we in fact compromise. If we take the middle ground, careful to keep the peace, are we not in fact coming in agreement with ungodly doctrine? By our silence are we not condoning these false religious practices? We need to ask ourselves in these times in history what are we, the church going to agree with? Are we going to stand for something or fall for everything?
That is the challenge ahead for us in the body of Christ! Who are we going to serve? Are we going to bow the knee to every false doctrine, every false belief system just to ‘keep the peace.’ Is this even a way of God? No! What is the Lord requiring of us in these days and times? We need to seek Him, know what is on His heart, and what He is after in His people. It will cost us our reputations, and it will bring a division between those who will count the cost and those who choose to compromise His word and His truth.
Sadly the church has agreed with a lot of teachings about a Jesus but is it about the Truth, Jesus Christ who shed His blood on the cross at Calvary for our sins?
There is a lot of recognition and acceptance of many expressions of Jesus but they are often in fact worship of false “Christs”. If we add the muslim view of who and how they see Jesus to the mix of their religion, it will be a false christ. It cannot be Truth unless and until there is acknowledgment of the shed blood of Jesus Christ for our sins. No other ‘prophet’ can forgive sin, no other prophet is the Son of God, and there is no one who can come to salvation without acknowledging the Lord Jesus Christ and what He did for us at Calvary!!! That is why we cannot and must not come into agreement with any false beliefs. Yes Jesus is love. He loves all of us, and wants us all, to come to relationship with Him. He wants us to come into freedom, into revelation of the forgiveness of sin, and to a knowledge that He loves and cares for us. It has always, and will always be about us returning to Him, acknowledging our need of Him and coming back to a deeper relationship with Him.
Philippians 2:9-11
Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Scripture warns us that in the last days many will believe in false “Christs” and that their ears will be tickled as people believe what they want to believe. There will be a division between those who stand for truth and those who bow to the lies of the enemy. That is why we must stand guard, ever watchful, for the enemy is indeed ready to pounce on the unsuspecting and innocent.
Matthew 24:23-25
Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it.
For false “Christs” and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See I have told you beforehand.
This is the Lord Jesus speaking, warning us of false “Christs” and false prophets rising.
Be alert! We are witnessing change in this nation and we must speak against the lies of the enemy. We must stand for Truth. We have a choice, and the choice is ours today, who will we serve, Jesus Christ or false gods. This is opportunity for us to be spurred on into action. Can I encourage you to rise up, to speak out for truth, and to be a voice opposing all that would bring the name of Jesus Christ into disrepute.
He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!!! He wants Lordship over our lives individually and corporately!!! Most importantly He wants to be Lord over this nation, His nation, Australia!!!
Thursday, 7 July 2011
Soul Affliction
by Jonathon Mills
Last Friday during worship I felt like this was very important and timely.
The Lord had impressed on me the words “soul affliction” on my heart. I originally thought it was a negative thing or God was dealing with something in my heart but I looked it up in Scripture and it lead me to Isaiah 58.
I want to let the Scripture speak for itself as I believe it has a different relevance to each of us for where we are at with our lives and our walk with God. Spend some time to read and meditate on it.
I believe God is saying that Prayer AND FASTING moves God not just prayer.
From what I read and God impressed on me was that it was a time of denial of our fleshly wants and desires towards His Spirit leading. The Spirit has to rule our mind, will and emotions. I believe He is taking us into a process of us yielding our natural ability towards the rest of His indwelling Spirit. We are all at different places in our walk with God and he is a kind, patient God but I believe Scripture makes it clear.
Romans 8:5-6
5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.
We have to understand there is a clear distinction between Light and darkness. We have to choose for ourselves if we want to walk in Light or in darkness (Spirit or flesh) and we can only do this if we depend and rely on God over what we can do.
Please understand that He is not a cruel, sadistic God. We can never forget we have the promise of the Helper to guide us and lead us. He is 100% for us.
Last Friday during worship I felt like this was very important and timely.
The Lord had impressed on me the words “soul affliction” on my heart. I originally thought it was a negative thing or God was dealing with something in my heart but I looked it up in Scripture and it lead me to Isaiah 58.
I want to let the Scripture speak for itself as I believe it has a different relevance to each of us for where we are at with our lives and our walk with God. Spend some time to read and meditate on it.
I believe God is saying that Prayer AND FASTING moves God not just prayer.
From what I read and God impressed on me was that it was a time of denial of our fleshly wants and desires towards His Spirit leading. The Spirit has to rule our mind, will and emotions. I believe He is taking us into a process of us yielding our natural ability towards the rest of His indwelling Spirit. We are all at different places in our walk with God and he is a kind, patient God but I believe Scripture makes it clear.
Romans 8:5-6
5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.
We have to understand there is a clear distinction between Light and darkness. We have to choose for ourselves if we want to walk in Light or in darkness (Spirit or flesh) and we can only do this if we depend and rely on God over what we can do.
Please understand that He is not a cruel, sadistic God. We can never forget we have the promise of the Helper to guide us and lead us. He is 100% for us.
A Word for Australia (Part 10): The Great Divide
Part Ten of previous articles:
Part 1 + Part 2 + Part 3 + Part 4 + Part 5 + Part 6 + Part 7 + Part 8 + Part 9
by Glenice Mills
A prophet is to know the seasons and times we live in. Australia is in a new season, a new time, a time of great unsettling. Things changed when our government changed with the balance of power in the senate falling into the hands of the greens.
We have known this would happen, however the full ramifications of this have not really been recognized by a large part of the Australian population. More concerning is the fact that the church has not seriously considered how this will affect them.
We are coming into a time of great instability with many areas of our lives being severely impacted. We have lived in peace, there has been nothing that has threatened our comfort, our sense of contentment. However, there is a rumbling, a stirring, an unease coming that will rock the core of the complacency in this nation.
The other night the Lord kept saying to me the word ‘schism.’ I could see a split not unlike the split when an earthquake occurs. It is a jagged, dividing line, a line of separation where the ground has been split in two. It was like a big chasm was formed, swallowing up all in its path. There was no way out from the depths of the gap created by the split.
The word schism means a splitting of a group or organisation into opposing parties on grounds of doctrinal disagreement. This split, division, separation speaks of division within parties, be that political or church.
There is an undercurrent deep in the belly of this nation of increasing discontent. It is about many aspects of Australian society that is quietly revolting against all areas of government. Disillusionment breeds discontent and when people have quietly succumbed to poor governance, that undercurrent of a sense of betrayal by government leaders will begin to manifest with people starting to rise up into action.
If there is one quality that defines an Australian it is about what is ‘fair for all’.
The problem arises when ‘what is fair’ is hard to define. That is why there is an arising of different factions all pushing for their opinions to be heard. Unfortunately this is causing and will in coming times cause increasing unrest, discontent, and disillusionment. There will be increase of competition: which voices will be heard, with ensuing power struggles as to who’s opinions are more valid than another.
So what will this look like? A great divide in many sectors of society will manifest more: racial divide, religious divide, sexual rights divide, economic divide, conservation/climate change divide, political party divide, and social class divide each competing for their voice to be heard. Animosity will increase as to who think what they believe in has more rights than another, and this will bring greater unrest. This will manifest in confrontations not seen before in this nation. This can be healthy as it appears as democracy in action, however the problem arises when the general populace opinion is shouted down, mocked and derided. The belief that if we keep everyone quiet, (often the silent majority,) and allow those with the most militant voice, to be heard, then the silent majority will soon bow to the militant’s populist opinion.
We have to look at the agendas and motives behind those with a particular viewpoint, those trying to thrust their opinions on us until we give up.
Numbers can be twisted. If one poll says 80% of Australians believe in gay marriage then those that don’t believe feel that maybe they are the underdog and might as well not voice an opinion. The issue has then already been decided by what appears as consensus agreement. What say the poll is not a balanced sample of people and the numbers are twisted to make everyone think that this is what everybody else is thinking? Maybe a large percentage of that 80% already hold to that viewpoint and it is not a true, fair and accurate sample of what the general Australian population thinks. This is deceptive practices operating to bring a loud minorities agenda to fruition. This is how unrighteous laws get passed in government without the knowledge of the vast majority of people, until it is too late.
These factions will push unrighteous laws through government using dubious means because we, the general population have been duped into believing the government is for the overwhelming viewpoint of the people. However this is not so.
Take the issue of the carbon tax. We have to ask the question: Are we going to be bought? Is $10 a week actually going to ‘settle us down?’ Are we that naïve and so easily succumb to our lusts for more that we will sell ourselves to a doctrine - the doctrine of climate change? Are we that fickle that by being ‘told a good story’ believing everything we are told, in order to appease our sense of greed? Can we not recognise a scam when we see one? Do we honestly believe our best interests are being considered? Is it not a loud minority lauding it over a silent majority? That is the great divide happening in this nation and if we the silent majority don’t start to make our opinions known then we will see things happening that we did not ask for.
Do we truly believe that money will resolve everything? Does the government think that if we give them, the ordinary working family $10 extra a week to shut them up and yet hit the people in other ways that they won’t see or know? Are we that stupid? Can we be duped that easily?
DISILLUSIONMENT+DISCONTENT=A CATALYST FOR CHANGE
If the dreams and visions of the people are crushed enough, the people will rise up to demand change in their circumstances.
We are seeing this in Greece at the moment. The people don’t like what is happening to them and are fighting for what they think is fair and right. People power does bring governments down. We are seeing this in many suppressed nations around the world.
If you squash people’s expectations that something good will happen if a decision goes a certain way and this does not happen, the people will rise up against the leadership of the nation.
There is an interesting statement being spoken regularly that says ‘the devil is in the detail.’ If we stop and think what this is saying there is some cause for alarm.
The truth is: the devil is in the detail. In this crucial hour in the history of Australia we need to pray that what is hidden in the detail will be exposed. One tiny statement in the small print can undermine all the big promise statements made.
Dishonest government must be exposed. That which is hidden must come to the light.
There are dishonest, corrupt power hungry ones who are out for promotion of their own views to the cost to the nation and it’s people. It is interesting to note the unlawful, dishonest practices of the media in England has been exposed. We would be naïve to think it does not happen here. We are seeing the downfall of one of the largest media moguls in the world. God is moving to expose corrupt practices. It is in fact an answer to prayer, and prophecy coming to pass. If our media can be bought we lose the truth coming to light. We need good balanced media that openly informs us as to what is the truth. It is about less ‘spin’, and more balanced facts informing us so we can make educated choices as to what we want to see happening in this nation.
This is not a time for the Australian people to sit down and just take what is happening to them as a ‘so be it’, ‘what will be will be.’
The saying ‘bad things happen because good people do nothing’ is apt for this time.
We should not be suspicious however we must question the decisions that are being made on our behalf so that we know the decisions are made for our best interests and not the interests of a loud minority.
We have a voice and now is the time to speak out. It is also time for the church of this nation to rise up and speak out. I know many are doing this and the Lord wants to encourage you to stand firm, and hold fast to Him. There is power in prayer. This is the time to declare that the unrighteous plans of man, out to do and bring harm, be exposed. Lord what is hidden, the corrupt practices, the lies and twisting of words to sway opinions for their own ends, that they be shown for what they really are, man’s selfish agenda to bring ultimate harm to this nation, in order to bring in unrighteous laws.
Psalm 5:1,2
Give ear to my words, O Lord,
Consider my meditation.
Give heed to the voice of my cry,
My King and my God,
For to You I will pray.
Hear the cry of Your people Lord, that which is hidden will be exposed!
(Prophetic word given on the 11 July 2011)
Part 1 + Part 2 + Part 3 + Part 4 + Part 5 + Part 6 + Part 7 + Part 8 + Part 9
by Glenice Mills
A prophet is to know the seasons and times we live in. Australia is in a new season, a new time, a time of great unsettling. Things changed when our government changed with the balance of power in the senate falling into the hands of the greens.
We have known this would happen, however the full ramifications of this have not really been recognized by a large part of the Australian population. More concerning is the fact that the church has not seriously considered how this will affect them.
We are coming into a time of great instability with many areas of our lives being severely impacted. We have lived in peace, there has been nothing that has threatened our comfort, our sense of contentment. However, there is a rumbling, a stirring, an unease coming that will rock the core of the complacency in this nation.
The other night the Lord kept saying to me the word ‘schism.’ I could see a split not unlike the split when an earthquake occurs. It is a jagged, dividing line, a line of separation where the ground has been split in two. It was like a big chasm was formed, swallowing up all in its path. There was no way out from the depths of the gap created by the split.
The word schism means a splitting of a group or organisation into opposing parties on grounds of doctrinal disagreement. This split, division, separation speaks of division within parties, be that political or church.
There is an undercurrent deep in the belly of this nation of increasing discontent. It is about many aspects of Australian society that is quietly revolting against all areas of government. Disillusionment breeds discontent and when people have quietly succumbed to poor governance, that undercurrent of a sense of betrayal by government leaders will begin to manifest with people starting to rise up into action.
If there is one quality that defines an Australian it is about what is ‘fair for all’.
The problem arises when ‘what is fair’ is hard to define. That is why there is an arising of different factions all pushing for their opinions to be heard. Unfortunately this is causing and will in coming times cause increasing unrest, discontent, and disillusionment. There will be increase of competition: which voices will be heard, with ensuing power struggles as to who’s opinions are more valid than another.
So what will this look like? A great divide in many sectors of society will manifest more: racial divide, religious divide, sexual rights divide, economic divide, conservation/climate change divide, political party divide, and social class divide each competing for their voice to be heard. Animosity will increase as to who think what they believe in has more rights than another, and this will bring greater unrest. This will manifest in confrontations not seen before in this nation. This can be healthy as it appears as democracy in action, however the problem arises when the general populace opinion is shouted down, mocked and derided. The belief that if we keep everyone quiet, (often the silent majority,) and allow those with the most militant voice, to be heard, then the silent majority will soon bow to the militant’s populist opinion.
We have to look at the agendas and motives behind those with a particular viewpoint, those trying to thrust their opinions on us until we give up.
Numbers can be twisted. If one poll says 80% of Australians believe in gay marriage then those that don’t believe feel that maybe they are the underdog and might as well not voice an opinion. The issue has then already been decided by what appears as consensus agreement. What say the poll is not a balanced sample of people and the numbers are twisted to make everyone think that this is what everybody else is thinking? Maybe a large percentage of that 80% already hold to that viewpoint and it is not a true, fair and accurate sample of what the general Australian population thinks. This is deceptive practices operating to bring a loud minorities agenda to fruition. This is how unrighteous laws get passed in government without the knowledge of the vast majority of people, until it is too late.
These factions will push unrighteous laws through government using dubious means because we, the general population have been duped into believing the government is for the overwhelming viewpoint of the people. However this is not so.
Take the issue of the carbon tax. We have to ask the question: Are we going to be bought? Is $10 a week actually going to ‘settle us down?’ Are we that naïve and so easily succumb to our lusts for more that we will sell ourselves to a doctrine - the doctrine of climate change? Are we that fickle that by being ‘told a good story’ believing everything we are told, in order to appease our sense of greed? Can we not recognise a scam when we see one? Do we honestly believe our best interests are being considered? Is it not a loud minority lauding it over a silent majority? That is the great divide happening in this nation and if we the silent majority don’t start to make our opinions known then we will see things happening that we did not ask for.
Do we truly believe that money will resolve everything? Does the government think that if we give them, the ordinary working family $10 extra a week to shut them up and yet hit the people in other ways that they won’t see or know? Are we that stupid? Can we be duped that easily?
DISILLUSIONMENT+DISCONTENT=A CATALYST FOR CHANGE
If the dreams and visions of the people are crushed enough, the people will rise up to demand change in their circumstances.
We are seeing this in Greece at the moment. The people don’t like what is happening to them and are fighting for what they think is fair and right. People power does bring governments down. We are seeing this in many suppressed nations around the world.
If you squash people’s expectations that something good will happen if a decision goes a certain way and this does not happen, the people will rise up against the leadership of the nation.
There is an interesting statement being spoken regularly that says ‘the devil is in the detail.’ If we stop and think what this is saying there is some cause for alarm.
The truth is: the devil is in the detail. In this crucial hour in the history of Australia we need to pray that what is hidden in the detail will be exposed. One tiny statement in the small print can undermine all the big promise statements made.
Dishonest government must be exposed. That which is hidden must come to the light.
There are dishonest, corrupt power hungry ones who are out for promotion of their own views to the cost to the nation and it’s people. It is interesting to note the unlawful, dishonest practices of the media in England has been exposed. We would be naïve to think it does not happen here. We are seeing the downfall of one of the largest media moguls in the world. God is moving to expose corrupt practices. It is in fact an answer to prayer, and prophecy coming to pass. If our media can be bought we lose the truth coming to light. We need good balanced media that openly informs us as to what is the truth. It is about less ‘spin’, and more balanced facts informing us so we can make educated choices as to what we want to see happening in this nation.
This is not a time for the Australian people to sit down and just take what is happening to them as a ‘so be it’, ‘what will be will be.’
The saying ‘bad things happen because good people do nothing’ is apt for this time.
We should not be suspicious however we must question the decisions that are being made on our behalf so that we know the decisions are made for our best interests and not the interests of a loud minority.
We have a voice and now is the time to speak out. It is also time for the church of this nation to rise up and speak out. I know many are doing this and the Lord wants to encourage you to stand firm, and hold fast to Him. There is power in prayer. This is the time to declare that the unrighteous plans of man, out to do and bring harm, be exposed. Lord what is hidden, the corrupt practices, the lies and twisting of words to sway opinions for their own ends, that they be shown for what they really are, man’s selfish agenda to bring ultimate harm to this nation, in order to bring in unrighteous laws.
Psalm 5:1,2
Give ear to my words, O Lord,
Consider my meditation.
Give heed to the voice of my cry,
My King and my God,
For to You I will pray.
Hear the cry of Your people Lord, that which is hidden will be exposed!
(Prophetic word given on the 11 July 2011)
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