by Jonathon Mills
I got a very strong inclination that it is important at this time to pray for the United States – it’s borders. This is a very important time in its nation’s history, not just in what is seen but also what is not seen but I believe the word for America is “Protect your borders.” I don’t believe it is just a governmental homeland security issue but even more so of spiritual importance even though these things work themselves out in the natural realm.
The United States of America is coming to a transition time to its future end time calling.
America must understand and discern what they are letting through into their society. America must make their stand against evil at a stronger level.
I believe if we pray for America - its homeland defence, government and all its governmental offices that are put in place to protect that nation, God will sovereignly reveal the evil agendas of harm to this nation.
Ephesians 6:11-17
11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.
13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.
14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
It only takes a few people who share God’s Heart to turn America around. America is called to be a BLESSED nation and a nation of difference makers but the problem with that comes jealousy and envy. There are people both inside and outside who HATE America and it’s Godly Calling, with a jealous hatred and are against the spiritual prosperity of this land.
America needs watchmen on its gates night and day to see and protect what is coming to this land.
America must get rid of its all is well idea and stand for what is righteous and true. Evil must not breach its already weakened gates. This is not to plant fear but faith in God who is America’s hope for now and especially for it’s future. His plans are for good not for calamity.
Our weapons are not carnal but mighty for the pulling down of strongholds - Stand Strong and Stand Guard America.
I saw a picture of what looked like an army supply truck passing through from the frozen north but they were not military but civilian. It had no notable insignia to show that it was military on it but it was a supply truck they use in the military.
Thursday, 19 May 2011
A Word for Australia (Part 9): Knowing & Understanding the Seasons of God in our Personal Lives & in Australia
Part Nine of previous articles:
Part 1 + Part 2 + Part 3 + Part 4 + Part 5 + Part 6 + Part 7 + Part 8
by Glenice Mills
We are instructed in Scripture to know the timing and seasons in God. We are going through a change of season in the natural right now, but for many it is also a change of season in their lives. The Lord has been speaking to me about how we must know the season we are in. If we know what season we are in then we can embrace it and allow the Lord to lead, guide and teach us the things He is wanting to impart into our lives.
The problem arises when we don’t know or understand the season of our life or we try and move quickly into the new season because we don’t like what is happening where we are at right now. For many, they see a new season coming and they have a sense of knowing the new is just around the corner. However there are no shortcuts in God, and if we try and outwit or outsmart what we think is a better way of doing things we will trip up. The Lord showed me an analogy.
When we think of a jigsaw puzzle with all the pieces tipped out, most times we know what the finished picture will look like. We have a goal to work toward, but it takes time, patience, long suffering, and trial and error to gradually bring the picture to completion. Sometimes we have frustrating pieces that we try in different positions and they don’t seem to fit. We then try the piece again later and it fits in easily.
We go ‘What’s with that?’ and then feel a great sense of relief that another piece has slotted in where it is meant to go. Often when doing a puzzle we have to go away and do something else as we reach the point of ‘no return’. Then some time later we see the finished picture with ‘new eyes’ and have a new spurt with pieces fitting in easily. We wonder why we didn’t see it before, and this can sometimes add to the frustration.
The puzzle is not complete until EVERY piece is put in its correct place. How many times have you done a puzzle and when the last few pieces are left you then see where another piece does not quite fit in, and you have to redo a few pieces again. When you get towards the end of the puzzle you begin to think ‘I hope there is no missing pieces’ because if there is it makes the whole puzzle incomplete and does not accomplish what was set out at the beginning of the venture. In fact it becomes a waste of time and ends up being very demoralising.
So it is with our lives. We cannot move into the next season until every piece of the puzzle is put in its correct position and the whole picture is complete. We cannot move pieces around to where we think they should go to bring a quicker outcome, because it will mean the picture is incomplete, with mistakes. The Lord who is the Master puzzle maker knows exactly what needs to be in place in our lives to bring about the completion of a set of requirements one needs before the next venture and season can begin to take place. We often speak of the word closure, which is a key word in these times. The new season cannot come in until the ‘door has been closed’ to the last season. The door cannot be ajar or left fully open for access by the enemy because when something is closed it is final. Closure is finality. The door is shut and cannot be reopened again. That season has gone. The new cannot come in until that door is closed. This means every piece of the puzzle has to be in place, with the puzzle finished, the picture is fully formed and it is completed. It cannot be added to or have pieces taken out, otherwise it is incomplete again.
The Lord is not about half finished jobs. He will not bring in the new until all that needs to be learnt, put in place, and the picture complete, before the next season of our lives can begin. Remember we will be only at the beginning of the new season, not the middle or the end, and there will be its own unique things to learn so we grow and come into greater maturity. It will be tailor made especially for you, not for anyone else, just for you. The problem with this is: we cannot expect another, particularly ones close to us to necessarily be in the same season, or at the same stage of completion, or even having an understanding of the season you are in. That is why we must know and be secure in the knowledge of where we are in God’s timetable in our lives, and not waver from the dealings of God.
Each season has exactly what is uniquely timed for you to learn, to overcome, to grow into greater maturity and faith. It is part of the process of coming into your God given authority and divine positioning for the time that the Lord is wanting to use you more greatly in His plan for your life. When we think of seasons in the natural we can see how they also pertain to our lives.
Autumn is a stripping away season, where the Lord takes our lives and strips away old mindsets, and old ways of doing things. There is a strong feeling of unsureness, vulnerability and discomfort. This operates in all areas of our lives: finances, work, relationships, ministry.
Winter is the season of, all is laid bear. It is the dying season, it is death to everything in our lives. It is like the wilderness season, it appears that nothing is happening. It can be a negative, emotion stirring, enduring season, however a deep work is been done and a lot of it is unseen. It is where the deep issues of the heart are exposed and it can often feel heavy and depressing. However it is a very powerful time because that is when our roots are put down deep and where many tests of God occur to see if we will endure patiently until the spring comes. It is the time where the fruits of the spirit are being prepared.
Spring is when there is new life coming into all areas of our life. It is like a new stirring in our circumstances, a new beginning, and a knowing that the deep forging on the inside of us is set in place. We start to see many dreams we have held onto start to be accomplished. It is like a divine shift of our circumstances and a reaping of rewards for passing many tests in God.
Summer is the season of producing fruit, where one is walking with the Lord, knowing they are in His perfect will. We see many lives being influenced and affected by what we have to give. There is often a producing of practical things in the area of creative gifts, and also in our finances, relationships, and ministries. They have endured and are truly yielded, willingly walking in the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit. They are ones who can be entrusted with greater anointing and authority in the Spirit and are doing exploits in Him, whether that be in the church or where they are called to fulfil their dreams and vision for their life out in the world.
This is a quick, rough overview and there are aspects of our lives that may flow in and out of these seasons, however, we know overall what season we are in by the fruits or processes we are in, leading to the producing. Each season is valid, and each person is in and will go through these seasons in the ebbs and flows of life. It is beautifully described in Ecclesiastes 3.
We have been looking at seasons in our personal lives, however, I believe nations also go through seasons. We see nations such as America and England going through difficult times. They are in process with many things being stripped away and many of their people are in a time of ‘dying’. There is much loss and disappointment, and it appears that no good thing is happening. However it is in God’s appointed time and He knows what He is doing. It is about bringing ones back to Him, about bringing the body of Christ back to His ways. He will use whatever means to bring restoration and redemption to ones who don’t know Him and bringing greater depth of relationship to ones who do.
I have often wondered why Australia did not succumb to the global financial crisis to the same extent as other nations. It was the goodness of God but it was also because we were in a season of fruitfulness. We were strong in our economy, and we had high productivity in many areas that sustained us through this winter time that other nations were experiencing.
Australia is coming out of their summer and into autumn where there is going to be a season of ‘strong winds’ that will blow many things, bringing fear and uncertainty in many lives. There is coming a great stripping away of the old ways of doing things, and an end to many blessings of the past season we have been in. Australia’s economy is coming into a torrent time, with instability and severe ups and downs on the stock market and gross domestic product figures. People’s reliance on a stable, secure, level playing field in the economy is about to be derailed. Panic and fear will arise in ways not seen before.
We have breathed a sigh of relief here in Queensland as the summer wet season has ended, however, it does not mean all is well. Again Queensland will also face an unsettling time as our state government contends with a budget deficit not seen before. Our economies both state and federally will be blamed on the flood disaster, but the deeper root is mismanagement, corruption, and a plundering of the coffers by unscrupulous men. There has been wastage not seen before. Public servants have quietly been ripping off taxpayers and without a sweeping through of these departments we will continue to see a great fall out in our economy. Those involved in positions of authority in these departments who have operated unwisely will be exposed, and many in big industries and business who have had a false position of power, who have pulled the government’s strings, like a marionette, will have their deeds exposed too. The unions false power and agenda will gradually come out as some in the media, even right now, are quietly researching and gathering information and facts to bring to the people. This will unravel and bring down governments, both state and federally by years end.
This is the beginning of the season, of God’s appointed time, to bring about change in key areas of governance. This is also a sign to the church to wake up from its apathy, to come out of compromise, and be the agent of change in the community and governance that it was always meant to be.
The enemy will be vicious and will use people with unrighteous agendas to rise up, in ways not seen before. It will test many in the body of Christ, and it will soon be made known those who have been trained in obedience and those who will succumb to whatever feels good in the moment. The line drawn in the sand showing who are His and who are not will be more defined. Opportunity for compromise will increase as fear and panic will have many joining in with the crowd. This will increase blindness in many of God’s people.
What we will see happening in this next season in God is a wake up call to His people to stand: to stand for justice, truth and righteousness. Those trained in obedience, heeding the Lord’s voice, without questioning, will be ones positioned, ready to be used to speak, to provide practical help and to bring the gospel to a people stripped of all they have known, ready and desperate for the Lord and His salvation.
There is a God appointed time, His perfect timing, for the season we find ourselves in both individually, and as a nation. Seek Him as to what season you are in, embrace this time in Him, being careful not to make or do anything before seasons end.
Australia will go through things in this next season, a stripping down season, but it will all be about His Kingdom coming here to Australia and for His plans and purposes to be fulfilled for such a time as this. I want to finish with Daniel’s prayer as found in Daniel 2:20-22
Daniel answered and said:
“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
For wisdom and might are His.
And He changes the times and the seasons;
He removes kings and raises up kings;
He gives wisdom to the wise
And knowledge to those who have understanding;
He reveals deep and secret things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
And light dwells with Him.”
Your kingdom come in our lives Lord and for this nation of Australia. Help us Lord to be trained in obedience to You and Your Word. You only said and did what the Father said, and we want to be like this too. Give us eyes to see and ears to hear and a heart to perceive and understand what you are saying and doing in our lives and in the nation of Australia and the nations of the world.
In Jesus Name,
Amen,
Part 1 + Part 2 + Part 3 + Part 4 + Part 5 + Part 6 + Part 7 + Part 8
by Glenice Mills
We are instructed in Scripture to know the timing and seasons in God. We are going through a change of season in the natural right now, but for many it is also a change of season in their lives. The Lord has been speaking to me about how we must know the season we are in. If we know what season we are in then we can embrace it and allow the Lord to lead, guide and teach us the things He is wanting to impart into our lives.
The problem arises when we don’t know or understand the season of our life or we try and move quickly into the new season because we don’t like what is happening where we are at right now. For many, they see a new season coming and they have a sense of knowing the new is just around the corner. However there are no shortcuts in God, and if we try and outwit or outsmart what we think is a better way of doing things we will trip up. The Lord showed me an analogy.
When we think of a jigsaw puzzle with all the pieces tipped out, most times we know what the finished picture will look like. We have a goal to work toward, but it takes time, patience, long suffering, and trial and error to gradually bring the picture to completion. Sometimes we have frustrating pieces that we try in different positions and they don’t seem to fit. We then try the piece again later and it fits in easily.
We go ‘What’s with that?’ and then feel a great sense of relief that another piece has slotted in where it is meant to go. Often when doing a puzzle we have to go away and do something else as we reach the point of ‘no return’. Then some time later we see the finished picture with ‘new eyes’ and have a new spurt with pieces fitting in easily. We wonder why we didn’t see it before, and this can sometimes add to the frustration.
The puzzle is not complete until EVERY piece is put in its correct place. How many times have you done a puzzle and when the last few pieces are left you then see where another piece does not quite fit in, and you have to redo a few pieces again. When you get towards the end of the puzzle you begin to think ‘I hope there is no missing pieces’ because if there is it makes the whole puzzle incomplete and does not accomplish what was set out at the beginning of the venture. In fact it becomes a waste of time and ends up being very demoralising.
So it is with our lives. We cannot move into the next season until every piece of the puzzle is put in its correct position and the whole picture is complete. We cannot move pieces around to where we think they should go to bring a quicker outcome, because it will mean the picture is incomplete, with mistakes. The Lord who is the Master puzzle maker knows exactly what needs to be in place in our lives to bring about the completion of a set of requirements one needs before the next venture and season can begin to take place. We often speak of the word closure, which is a key word in these times. The new season cannot come in until the ‘door has been closed’ to the last season. The door cannot be ajar or left fully open for access by the enemy because when something is closed it is final. Closure is finality. The door is shut and cannot be reopened again. That season has gone. The new cannot come in until that door is closed. This means every piece of the puzzle has to be in place, with the puzzle finished, the picture is fully formed and it is completed. It cannot be added to or have pieces taken out, otherwise it is incomplete again.
The Lord is not about half finished jobs. He will not bring in the new until all that needs to be learnt, put in place, and the picture complete, before the next season of our lives can begin. Remember we will be only at the beginning of the new season, not the middle or the end, and there will be its own unique things to learn so we grow and come into greater maturity. It will be tailor made especially for you, not for anyone else, just for you. The problem with this is: we cannot expect another, particularly ones close to us to necessarily be in the same season, or at the same stage of completion, or even having an understanding of the season you are in. That is why we must know and be secure in the knowledge of where we are in God’s timetable in our lives, and not waver from the dealings of God.
Each season has exactly what is uniquely timed for you to learn, to overcome, to grow into greater maturity and faith. It is part of the process of coming into your God given authority and divine positioning for the time that the Lord is wanting to use you more greatly in His plan for your life. When we think of seasons in the natural we can see how they also pertain to our lives.
Autumn is a stripping away season, where the Lord takes our lives and strips away old mindsets, and old ways of doing things. There is a strong feeling of unsureness, vulnerability and discomfort. This operates in all areas of our lives: finances, work, relationships, ministry.
Winter is the season of, all is laid bear. It is the dying season, it is death to everything in our lives. It is like the wilderness season, it appears that nothing is happening. It can be a negative, emotion stirring, enduring season, however a deep work is been done and a lot of it is unseen. It is where the deep issues of the heart are exposed and it can often feel heavy and depressing. However it is a very powerful time because that is when our roots are put down deep and where many tests of God occur to see if we will endure patiently until the spring comes. It is the time where the fruits of the spirit are being prepared.
Spring is when there is new life coming into all areas of our life. It is like a new stirring in our circumstances, a new beginning, and a knowing that the deep forging on the inside of us is set in place. We start to see many dreams we have held onto start to be accomplished. It is like a divine shift of our circumstances and a reaping of rewards for passing many tests in God.
Summer is the season of producing fruit, where one is walking with the Lord, knowing they are in His perfect will. We see many lives being influenced and affected by what we have to give. There is often a producing of practical things in the area of creative gifts, and also in our finances, relationships, and ministries. They have endured and are truly yielded, willingly walking in the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit. They are ones who can be entrusted with greater anointing and authority in the Spirit and are doing exploits in Him, whether that be in the church or where they are called to fulfil their dreams and vision for their life out in the world.
This is a quick, rough overview and there are aspects of our lives that may flow in and out of these seasons, however, we know overall what season we are in by the fruits or processes we are in, leading to the producing. Each season is valid, and each person is in and will go through these seasons in the ebbs and flows of life. It is beautifully described in Ecclesiastes 3.
We have been looking at seasons in our personal lives, however, I believe nations also go through seasons. We see nations such as America and England going through difficult times. They are in process with many things being stripped away and many of their people are in a time of ‘dying’. There is much loss and disappointment, and it appears that no good thing is happening. However it is in God’s appointed time and He knows what He is doing. It is about bringing ones back to Him, about bringing the body of Christ back to His ways. He will use whatever means to bring restoration and redemption to ones who don’t know Him and bringing greater depth of relationship to ones who do.
I have often wondered why Australia did not succumb to the global financial crisis to the same extent as other nations. It was the goodness of God but it was also because we were in a season of fruitfulness. We were strong in our economy, and we had high productivity in many areas that sustained us through this winter time that other nations were experiencing.
Australia is coming out of their summer and into autumn where there is going to be a season of ‘strong winds’ that will blow many things, bringing fear and uncertainty in many lives. There is coming a great stripping away of the old ways of doing things, and an end to many blessings of the past season we have been in. Australia’s economy is coming into a torrent time, with instability and severe ups and downs on the stock market and gross domestic product figures. People’s reliance on a stable, secure, level playing field in the economy is about to be derailed. Panic and fear will arise in ways not seen before.
We have breathed a sigh of relief here in Queensland as the summer wet season has ended, however, it does not mean all is well. Again Queensland will also face an unsettling time as our state government contends with a budget deficit not seen before. Our economies both state and federally will be blamed on the flood disaster, but the deeper root is mismanagement, corruption, and a plundering of the coffers by unscrupulous men. There has been wastage not seen before. Public servants have quietly been ripping off taxpayers and without a sweeping through of these departments we will continue to see a great fall out in our economy. Those involved in positions of authority in these departments who have operated unwisely will be exposed, and many in big industries and business who have had a false position of power, who have pulled the government’s strings, like a marionette, will have their deeds exposed too. The unions false power and agenda will gradually come out as some in the media, even right now, are quietly researching and gathering information and facts to bring to the people. This will unravel and bring down governments, both state and federally by years end.
This is the beginning of the season, of God’s appointed time, to bring about change in key areas of governance. This is also a sign to the church to wake up from its apathy, to come out of compromise, and be the agent of change in the community and governance that it was always meant to be.
The enemy will be vicious and will use people with unrighteous agendas to rise up, in ways not seen before. It will test many in the body of Christ, and it will soon be made known those who have been trained in obedience and those who will succumb to whatever feels good in the moment. The line drawn in the sand showing who are His and who are not will be more defined. Opportunity for compromise will increase as fear and panic will have many joining in with the crowd. This will increase blindness in many of God’s people.
What we will see happening in this next season in God is a wake up call to His people to stand: to stand for justice, truth and righteousness. Those trained in obedience, heeding the Lord’s voice, without questioning, will be ones positioned, ready to be used to speak, to provide practical help and to bring the gospel to a people stripped of all they have known, ready and desperate for the Lord and His salvation.
There is a God appointed time, His perfect timing, for the season we find ourselves in both individually, and as a nation. Seek Him as to what season you are in, embrace this time in Him, being careful not to make or do anything before seasons end.
Australia will go through things in this next season, a stripping down season, but it will all be about His Kingdom coming here to Australia and for His plans and purposes to be fulfilled for such a time as this. I want to finish with Daniel’s prayer as found in Daniel 2:20-22
Daniel answered and said:
“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
For wisdom and might are His.
And He changes the times and the seasons;
He removes kings and raises up kings;
He gives wisdom to the wise
And knowledge to those who have understanding;
He reveals deep and secret things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
And light dwells with Him.”
Your kingdom come in our lives Lord and for this nation of Australia. Help us Lord to be trained in obedience to You and Your Word. You only said and did what the Father said, and we want to be like this too. Give us eyes to see and ears to hear and a heart to perceive and understand what you are saying and doing in our lives and in the nation of Australia and the nations of the world.
In Jesus Name,
Amen,
Wednesday, 4 May 2011
Woe to the Fringe Dwellers
by Christopher Mear
While I was in intercession for the church I saw a vision of the walls of an ancient city. I knew in my Spirit that this city was God’s true church here on earth. As I looked over the wall out into the distance I saw that the sky was hazy and filled with smoke and the sun burned a dull red. The mountains off in the distance were dark, jagged and foreboding. I then saw myself climbing up a ladder to take my place on top of the wall. As I neared the top, a leader in intercession reached down to help me over the edge. As I stood and looked out over the edge of the wall I could see the flatlands down below. It was a brown swampy marshland and I could see people down there. They appeared to be blinded by the hazy smoke and were stumbling to and fro, zombie-like, with their arms out in front of them. I saw some of them trip and sink into the mud pits. As they were continuing to trip and fall I became frustrated. I knew in my Spirit that there was safety in this city, with solid ground and good food to eat. I knew that in there, were leaders who would guide and protect us, who took orders straight from King Jesus concerning us. I wanted to scream out to them to run in through the gates of Sonship – there they would be safe. I knew if they would only commit themselves to the King’s House and follow the guidance of His appointed leaders they would be nurtured back to health. There they would find comfort and strength and be prepared for the battle against the coming darkness. COME INSIDE THE GATES FRINGE DWELLERS.
(Prophetic word given on the 4 April 2011)
While I was in intercession for the church I saw a vision of the walls of an ancient city. I knew in my Spirit that this city was God’s true church here on earth. As I looked over the wall out into the distance I saw that the sky was hazy and filled with smoke and the sun burned a dull red. The mountains off in the distance were dark, jagged and foreboding. I then saw myself climbing up a ladder to take my place on top of the wall. As I neared the top, a leader in intercession reached down to help me over the edge. As I stood and looked out over the edge of the wall I could see the flatlands down below. It was a brown swampy marshland and I could see people down there. They appeared to be blinded by the hazy smoke and were stumbling to and fro, zombie-like, with their arms out in front of them. I saw some of them trip and sink into the mud pits. As they were continuing to trip and fall I became frustrated. I knew in my Spirit that there was safety in this city, with solid ground and good food to eat. I knew that in there, were leaders who would guide and protect us, who took orders straight from King Jesus concerning us. I wanted to scream out to them to run in through the gates of Sonship – there they would be safe. I knew if they would only commit themselves to the King’s House and follow the guidance of His appointed leaders they would be nurtured back to health. There they would find comfort and strength and be prepared for the battle against the coming darkness. COME INSIDE THE GATES FRINGE DWELLERS.
(Prophetic word given on the 4 April 2011)
Tuesday, 3 May 2011
A Word for Australia (Part 8): Tribal Thinking & The Lordship of Jesus Christ
Part Eight of previous articles: Part 1 + Part 2 + Part 3 + Part 4 + Part 5 + Part 6 + Part 7
by Glenice Mills
The other morning the Lord was speaking to me about Vanuatu. Vanuatu is a Christian nation, one that openly speaks of it’s Christian heritage. It’s government is Christian and they openly acknowledge and appoint apostles and prophets as leaders in many areas of governance.
However, they have one major problem and that is their tribal thinking and living. It is contending with the leading of the Holy Spirit. They have lived in and been a part of their various tribes with chiefs leading a particular tribe in certain areas that was their territory. Each tribe is unique, however throughout the generations there has been contending and warring between the tribes for territory, and position. So what happens when the Holy Spirit is trying to bring them together? As long as the tribes contend with one another it blocks and stops how and the degree to which the Holy Spirit can move. There is a problem when the Holy Spirit is added to the mix of tribal thinking and living. Tribal thinking and being must bow to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
The Lord then began to show me Australia. We have our tribes as well. We are a bit more subtle about it, but it is still there. It is insidiously woven into the fabric of our modern society and is expressed in obvious ways such as through sport and expressions of cultures. If we take the modern cities of Sydney and Melbourne, they have their enclaves of tribes within. For example: Italians living in their suburban area, the Greeks in another, the Vietnamese in another, and so it is with the different ethnic groups. This is tribes living in their areas staking their claim and hold over that particular geographical area. That is how factions form and the contending festers between the ‘tribes’ until there is a trigger point when this factionalism boils over and becomes fighting between and among the people.
The same can be said of sports teams people support. Some ‘tribes’ support for example the Eels, the Broncos, etc. depending on the sporting code and again territories where people live. These ‘tribes’ have their colours, their songs, their favourite players, and their supporters have a passion, a zeal and strong belief in their favourite team. In the bigger picture of Australia we also have our ‘tribes’, whether we are Queenslanders, New South Welshmen, Victorians etc according to the states we live in. Again that is outworked in team support for example, the Maroons and the Blues in rugby league.
The dictionary meaning of tribe is an independent social group, claiming or occupying a particular territory. We bring this way of thinking and being into the church. So why is the Lord wanting us to consider where and how this affects our lives? The Lord showed me how it goes back to the roots with the Tower of Babel. At that time the whole earth had one language and one speech. This changed when they decided to build a tower. The key is found in a statement in the following verse.
Genesis 11:4
And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the earth.”
We see in verse 9 where the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth because of this idolatry. Contending, one up man ship, and this competitive divisive spirit is rooted in the fact of one wanting to make a name for itself.
The truth is we also have this way operating in the Body of Christ. Denominations, charismatic, pentecostal, apostolic/prophetic could all be called tribes. We each operate independently, and often contend with other tribes, in this case churches claim a territory, a people for themselves. We can be very individual in the way we operate, and can be very protective of our ‘claim’ and territory. We can easily succumb to wanting to ‘make a name for ourselves.’ It is very easy to view the body of Christ with narrow minds forgetting how the Lord sees us. He is about unity, of us being of one accord, of like spirit, with a love for Him. When the Lord looks at His body of believers, He doesn’t see Anglicans, Presbyterians, Pentecostal, Apostolic, He sees those who are lovers of Him, those who are true followers of Jesus Christ. Unity will not come to the body of Christ until we look at our tribal thinking, our sectarianism, with its false claim on people, and territories.
There are some traits of tribal thinking that the Lord is wanting us to look at and how it works against Him and His Holy Spirit. First we will look at it in the context of the perception in sports and culture and the ‘Australian way’.
1. Pride: Wanting to make a name for ourselves is pride. To be the biggest, and the best, to want to be known and the glory go to ourselves so we appear to have it all is one of the roots of tribal thinking. It is concern for reputation, what people think with greed and money at its roots. Appearances and opinions have incredible power to influence. We just need to look at sport and how a person is idolised because of their great playing. They are often quoted as heroes.
2. Parochialism: This is having a narrow, limited viewpoint often related to the local area a person lives. This can be the one eyed view of sports teams of a particular geographical area or the culture base of an area that is exclusive. There is a thinking such as ‘once a Queenslander always a Queenslander’ and if anyone dare move or speak against Queensland they are often vilified and cast out as a traitor.
3. Sectarianism: This is a concern for or relating to the interests of one’s group which is often viewed as a sect. It always has a belief system that its people must adhere to and tends to be isolationist in its way of living.
4. Generational: This zeal for country, sports team is passed down through the generations and if anyone dares to move away from or support another they will again be seen as a traitor.
5. ‘I follow’: A person is always judged and classed in a particular group because of the words ‘I follow’. They are either endorsed or viewed of lesser opinion by the person enquiring about them. It is judging by biased opinion and what has been spoken of by others.
The truth is: at the core of everything is a person’s desire to belong somewhere, whether that be cultural like mindedness, sports, or the church. That is how God created us to be, to love, care and watch out for each other. That is why we gather in ‘tribes’. It was always a way of God but it got distorted from the building of the tower of Babel. As we have spread over the earth with our various languages and ways we are now having to learn how to come back to the Lord and His ways. His church is the way we love and care for one another, for His people.
If we look at the above traits of tribal thinking as it relates to church we see how it subtly and easily entraps God’s people.
1. Pride: Sadly much of the body of Christ is more concerned about making a name for itself rather than being concerned with what the Lord wants His church to be. The Lord will build His church and in coming days it will be obvious which have not been built on the rock of Jesus Christ and which have been built by the hands of man. God resists the proud. Humility is the key, and unless we acknowledge we can do nothing without the Holy Spirit’s leading we will easily succumb to our own ways.
2. Parochialism: Many church leaders have laid a claim on areas and have set themselves up as the only church in certain geographical areas forgetting that the Lord will build His church and that means no one denomination has rule over that area. Again it is building by the hands of man rather than by the Lord.
3. Sectarianism: The body of Christ has factions, with division and contentions between many of God’s church leaders and this also flows to the people. We see this when the Apostle Paul spoke in 1 Corinthians 1:12,13
Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or ‘I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.”
Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptised in the name of Paul?
The Lord is concerned about us having deep relationship with Him rather than the church leader we serve in church. It is a matter of correct balance.
4. Generational: Attending church out of obligation because of loyalty to a particular denomination because a parent/grandparent has been an active participant in that church is no guarantee of salvation or where the Lord wants you to be a part of. We must be where the Lord wants us to grow and mature into His future for our life.
5. ‘I follow’: Unfortunately many in the body of Christ have got caught up following a person, a doctrine, or a set view point rather than being led by the Holy Spirit. Idolatry of a church leader is rampant in the body of Christ. It is easy to speak more about the church leader rather than the Lord. We are quick to look up to the leader and place them as a ‘god’, going to them for answers to our problems rather than going to the Lord. Again it is about balance. We must follow the leading of the Holy Spirit rather than any man or denomination. It may require us to check who we truly follow: man or religion.
1 Peter 2:9,10:
"But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy."
That is how God sees us, and that is how we must see ourselves. We are His people, one’s who know and love Him. However, we must look at where we have allowed pride and idolatry to come in, that would have the potential to skew us off course. We all have our culture, our family upbringing, our traditions and ways of living, but they must bow to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. In the mix of this is tribal thinking and living and it too must be confessed so the Lord has greater rulership of our lives.
Much of the world has come into the church and this area is just one small aspect of ourselves that has the potential to stop and block the full aspect and potential the Lord wants to bring into all our lives. We say and sing “Let your Kingdom come Lord,” and this is His Kingdom coming into our lives in greater measure.
Thank you Lord for freedom to be ALL He created us to be!!!
(Prophetic word given on the 20 April 2011)
by Glenice Mills
The other morning the Lord was speaking to me about Vanuatu. Vanuatu is a Christian nation, one that openly speaks of it’s Christian heritage. It’s government is Christian and they openly acknowledge and appoint apostles and prophets as leaders in many areas of governance.
However, they have one major problem and that is their tribal thinking and living. It is contending with the leading of the Holy Spirit. They have lived in and been a part of their various tribes with chiefs leading a particular tribe in certain areas that was their territory. Each tribe is unique, however throughout the generations there has been contending and warring between the tribes for territory, and position. So what happens when the Holy Spirit is trying to bring them together? As long as the tribes contend with one another it blocks and stops how and the degree to which the Holy Spirit can move. There is a problem when the Holy Spirit is added to the mix of tribal thinking and living. Tribal thinking and being must bow to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
The Lord then began to show me Australia. We have our tribes as well. We are a bit more subtle about it, but it is still there. It is insidiously woven into the fabric of our modern society and is expressed in obvious ways such as through sport and expressions of cultures. If we take the modern cities of Sydney and Melbourne, they have their enclaves of tribes within. For example: Italians living in their suburban area, the Greeks in another, the Vietnamese in another, and so it is with the different ethnic groups. This is tribes living in their areas staking their claim and hold over that particular geographical area. That is how factions form and the contending festers between the ‘tribes’ until there is a trigger point when this factionalism boils over and becomes fighting between and among the people.
The same can be said of sports teams people support. Some ‘tribes’ support for example the Eels, the Broncos, etc. depending on the sporting code and again territories where people live. These ‘tribes’ have their colours, their songs, their favourite players, and their supporters have a passion, a zeal and strong belief in their favourite team. In the bigger picture of Australia we also have our ‘tribes’, whether we are Queenslanders, New South Welshmen, Victorians etc according to the states we live in. Again that is outworked in team support for example, the Maroons and the Blues in rugby league.
The dictionary meaning of tribe is an independent social group, claiming or occupying a particular territory. We bring this way of thinking and being into the church. So why is the Lord wanting us to consider where and how this affects our lives? The Lord showed me how it goes back to the roots with the Tower of Babel. At that time the whole earth had one language and one speech. This changed when they decided to build a tower. The key is found in a statement in the following verse.
Genesis 11:4
And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the earth.”
We see in verse 9 where the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth because of this idolatry. Contending, one up man ship, and this competitive divisive spirit is rooted in the fact of one wanting to make a name for itself.
The truth is we also have this way operating in the Body of Christ. Denominations, charismatic, pentecostal, apostolic/prophetic could all be called tribes. We each operate independently, and often contend with other tribes, in this case churches claim a territory, a people for themselves. We can be very individual in the way we operate, and can be very protective of our ‘claim’ and territory. We can easily succumb to wanting to ‘make a name for ourselves.’ It is very easy to view the body of Christ with narrow minds forgetting how the Lord sees us. He is about unity, of us being of one accord, of like spirit, with a love for Him. When the Lord looks at His body of believers, He doesn’t see Anglicans, Presbyterians, Pentecostal, Apostolic, He sees those who are lovers of Him, those who are true followers of Jesus Christ. Unity will not come to the body of Christ until we look at our tribal thinking, our sectarianism, with its false claim on people, and territories.
There are some traits of tribal thinking that the Lord is wanting us to look at and how it works against Him and His Holy Spirit. First we will look at it in the context of the perception in sports and culture and the ‘Australian way’.
1. Pride: Wanting to make a name for ourselves is pride. To be the biggest, and the best, to want to be known and the glory go to ourselves so we appear to have it all is one of the roots of tribal thinking. It is concern for reputation, what people think with greed and money at its roots. Appearances and opinions have incredible power to influence. We just need to look at sport and how a person is idolised because of their great playing. They are often quoted as heroes.
2. Parochialism: This is having a narrow, limited viewpoint often related to the local area a person lives. This can be the one eyed view of sports teams of a particular geographical area or the culture base of an area that is exclusive. There is a thinking such as ‘once a Queenslander always a Queenslander’ and if anyone dare move or speak against Queensland they are often vilified and cast out as a traitor.
3. Sectarianism: This is a concern for or relating to the interests of one’s group which is often viewed as a sect. It always has a belief system that its people must adhere to and tends to be isolationist in its way of living.
4. Generational: This zeal for country, sports team is passed down through the generations and if anyone dares to move away from or support another they will again be seen as a traitor.
5. ‘I follow’: A person is always judged and classed in a particular group because of the words ‘I follow’. They are either endorsed or viewed of lesser opinion by the person enquiring about them. It is judging by biased opinion and what has been spoken of by others.
The truth is: at the core of everything is a person’s desire to belong somewhere, whether that be cultural like mindedness, sports, or the church. That is how God created us to be, to love, care and watch out for each other. That is why we gather in ‘tribes’. It was always a way of God but it got distorted from the building of the tower of Babel. As we have spread over the earth with our various languages and ways we are now having to learn how to come back to the Lord and His ways. His church is the way we love and care for one another, for His people.
If we look at the above traits of tribal thinking as it relates to church we see how it subtly and easily entraps God’s people.
1. Pride: Sadly much of the body of Christ is more concerned about making a name for itself rather than being concerned with what the Lord wants His church to be. The Lord will build His church and in coming days it will be obvious which have not been built on the rock of Jesus Christ and which have been built by the hands of man. God resists the proud. Humility is the key, and unless we acknowledge we can do nothing without the Holy Spirit’s leading we will easily succumb to our own ways.
2. Parochialism: Many church leaders have laid a claim on areas and have set themselves up as the only church in certain geographical areas forgetting that the Lord will build His church and that means no one denomination has rule over that area. Again it is building by the hands of man rather than by the Lord.
3. Sectarianism: The body of Christ has factions, with division and contentions between many of God’s church leaders and this also flows to the people. We see this when the Apostle Paul spoke in 1 Corinthians 1:12,13
Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or ‘I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.”
Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptised in the name of Paul?
The Lord is concerned about us having deep relationship with Him rather than the church leader we serve in church. It is a matter of correct balance.
4. Generational: Attending church out of obligation because of loyalty to a particular denomination because a parent/grandparent has been an active participant in that church is no guarantee of salvation or where the Lord wants you to be a part of. We must be where the Lord wants us to grow and mature into His future for our life.
5. ‘I follow’: Unfortunately many in the body of Christ have got caught up following a person, a doctrine, or a set view point rather than being led by the Holy Spirit. Idolatry of a church leader is rampant in the body of Christ. It is easy to speak more about the church leader rather than the Lord. We are quick to look up to the leader and place them as a ‘god’, going to them for answers to our problems rather than going to the Lord. Again it is about balance. We must follow the leading of the Holy Spirit rather than any man or denomination. It may require us to check who we truly follow: man or religion.
1 Peter 2:9,10:
"But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy."
That is how God sees us, and that is how we must see ourselves. We are His people, one’s who know and love Him. However, we must look at where we have allowed pride and idolatry to come in, that would have the potential to skew us off course. We all have our culture, our family upbringing, our traditions and ways of living, but they must bow to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. In the mix of this is tribal thinking and living and it too must be confessed so the Lord has greater rulership of our lives.
Much of the world has come into the church and this area is just one small aspect of ourselves that has the potential to stop and block the full aspect and potential the Lord wants to bring into all our lives. We say and sing “Let your Kingdom come Lord,” and this is His Kingdom coming into our lives in greater measure.
Thank you Lord for freedom to be ALL He created us to be!!!
(Prophetic word given on the 20 April 2011)
Prophetic Encouragement
by Patricia Bellchambers
I saw a picture of an indigenous Australian woman standing alone barefoot in the red dust and dirt.
What drew my attention was that she was standing tall and looking me straight in the eye -maintaining eye contact.
She was dressed in an old ragged ill fitting European dress and cardigan which were worn and torn and stained from many years of use.
She had a look of confident determination and I sensed that she knew her own strength and ability, however, she also knew her “place”.
The Lord started to speak to me of dominion.
Throughout many decades of culture, tradition, generational curses and iniquity the Indigenous women of Australia have been forced to tolerate and bow to the dominion of man.
Their life has never been their own and they have endured many forms of horrendous abuse at the hands of many- both family and strangers.
The Indigenous women of Australia have been silenced, abused, disrespected, devalued and in many ways completely disregarded.
The Sovereign Lord declares “NO LONGER!”
“I will raise up these mighty warrior women and they will bow to neither man, culture, circumstance or ungodly authority,” says the Lord .
“They will bow low under MY hand and MY authority out of a true desire to give their all in order to gain true life.
From the dust and from amongst the trampled down and broken I will raise up Princesses, Warriors, Daughters, Heiresses -who will speak MY words to many women of many nations.
They will NOT be silenced and they WILL be raised up before (in the sight of) men. Their hardships will serve them well and they will war from a position of true peace such as they have never known before.
They will be robed with humility and clothed in MY love.”
I saw Indigenous women sitting despondently in the dust, bone weary and resigned to a future of little hope and no fulfilment. I saw dreams that God had long ago birthed in their hearts once burning bright now barely embers and almost all but completely extinguished.
These women were totally resigned to a future that mirrored their past.
Then the scene changed.
I saw life coming into dry bones just as in Ezekiel 37 and I heard these words resounding in the Spirit .
Ezekiel 37:5-6 “surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord “. (v9)”…..Thus says the Lord God: “come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live .”
And just as in verse 10 , I saw breath come in to these women who have been previously dead to the call of God on their lives- ” and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.”
Thank You Father for these incredibly precious women and the future that You have prepared for them, I speak FAITH, FAITH, FAITH into their hearts and spirits and I stand with them in the spirit to see Your word made manifest in their lives. In Jesus’ Name I pray, amen.
(Prophetic word given on 17 April 2011)
I saw a picture of an indigenous Australian woman standing alone barefoot in the red dust and dirt.
What drew my attention was that she was standing tall and looking me straight in the eye -maintaining eye contact.
She was dressed in an old ragged ill fitting European dress and cardigan which were worn and torn and stained from many years of use.
She had a look of confident determination and I sensed that she knew her own strength and ability, however, she also knew her “place”.
The Lord started to speak to me of dominion.
Throughout many decades of culture, tradition, generational curses and iniquity the Indigenous women of Australia have been forced to tolerate and bow to the dominion of man.
Their life has never been their own and they have endured many forms of horrendous abuse at the hands of many- both family and strangers.
The Indigenous women of Australia have been silenced, abused, disrespected, devalued and in many ways completely disregarded.
The Sovereign Lord declares “NO LONGER!”
“I will raise up these mighty warrior women and they will bow to neither man, culture, circumstance or ungodly authority,” says the Lord .
“They will bow low under MY hand and MY authority out of a true desire to give their all in order to gain true life.
From the dust and from amongst the trampled down and broken I will raise up Princesses, Warriors, Daughters, Heiresses -who will speak MY words to many women of many nations.
They will NOT be silenced and they WILL be raised up before (in the sight of) men. Their hardships will serve them well and they will war from a position of true peace such as they have never known before.
They will be robed with humility and clothed in MY love.”
I saw Indigenous women sitting despondently in the dust, bone weary and resigned to a future of little hope and no fulfilment. I saw dreams that God had long ago birthed in their hearts once burning bright now barely embers and almost all but completely extinguished.
These women were totally resigned to a future that mirrored their past.
Then the scene changed.
I saw life coming into dry bones just as in Ezekiel 37 and I heard these words resounding in the Spirit .
Ezekiel 37:5-6 “surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord “. (v9)”…..Thus says the Lord God: “come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live .”
And just as in verse 10 , I saw breath come in to these women who have been previously dead to the call of God on their lives- ” and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.”
Thank You Father for these incredibly precious women and the future that You have prepared for them, I speak FAITH, FAITH, FAITH into their hearts and spirits and I stand with them in the spirit to see Your word made manifest in their lives. In Jesus’ Name I pray, amen.
(Prophetic word given on 17 April 2011)
Wednesday, 13 April 2011
A Man After God’s Own Heart
by Christopher Mills
What comes to mind when you hear the statement, ‘A man after God’s own heart?’
Do you picture a soft man, a gentle and passive man? That may be true but have you ever seen it as a man after the heart of God. Let me word it this way: A man in pursuit of God’s own heart?
What has happened to the men of God? What does it mean to be a true man of God? What does a Man of and in God look like? I have been asking these questions. Men in the modern church have been emasculated; our view of the bride of Christ has been inaccurate. The question has gone through my mind, how are we, as men, the bride of Christ? We are men, not brides, men don’t become brides. When you think of a bride you think of amazing beauty, soft heart and gentle spirit. This view has lost an important aspect of men. A man is strong, assertive and righteous in spirit. What does a man pursuing the heart of God look like?
A man was designed to pursue what he loves. A man will do almost anything for the woman he’s pursuing. There is no greater thing in a man than to behold beauty and then to pursue it with all his heart. We are taught that God is a romantic and wooing God (that He is) but how does a man express his love? We are taught God pursues us with His love and we are meant to sit idle waiting to be swept off our feet. To be honest that does not sound romantic to me. I want to be able to chase my love down. Go on the hunt for the heart of God. Men were designed not to be swept off their feet in love but to pursue love with a full heart. They need to capture a glimpse of the beauty of God and never let that go and chase that beauty for as long as it takes. We are told that men are visual creatures so why is it we do not seek to see God’s face, to see His beauty? As men we need to see the beauty of God and be captivated by it and never forget. We need to be always on the hunt for God’s beauty.
John the apostle is an example to me of what a man of God is. What stands out to me is that he was a man truly in an intimate relationship with Jesus and his love for Him is great. You can see in the first book of John. John is someone who knows the love of the Lord and knows how to show his love to God and the people of the church and this world. John was the apostle who felt so comfortable and loving enough to lean against the breast of Jesus. I find it interesting that it was John who was shown the ultimate beauty of the Lord through the revelation that God displayed to him about the coming glory of Christ returning. As far as I can see John must have been a man seeking the beauty of God to receive such an awesome and awe inspiring vision of the Lord. John had captured a glimpse of the beauty of Jesus Christ and he chased after that beauty and God continued to unveil His beauty to him throughout the rest of his life resulting in the immense revelation of Jesus’ glorious return.
Where have the strong men gone, the men who fight for the ones they love? Unfortunately the fight in men has become so misplaced that it has caused much harm to families and those around them. Men are fascinated by violence, as young boys there’s nothing like wrestling with brothers and Dad. All the way growing up you test your strength against the other men in your life. Godly men should be the most spiritually violent men around. Give a man love and he will fight for it until he falls. A man loves to love and fights for love. If a man loves God he will be fighting for that love of His. How many movies do you see where a man fights to regain his loved ones. The hero always has to save his beloved. Most male movies all have a romantic flame to fight for. If we love God we should fight for God.
"And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force."
Matthew 11:12
We have women in the church who intercede for hours and hours for those around them. If you asked who is on the intercession team then you would probably find a majority of women. If a man fights for his love and what his love holds dear then men should be flocking to intercession meetings! Have church men become so passive that they have lost the ability to fight? In intercession and prayer a man should be wading into a battle. A man should see this world and see how it grieves his love. This should be his call to arms. Love is his call to arms.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Ephesians 6:12
David is the man mentioned in Acts 13:22 to be a man after God’s own heart and was willing to do all of God’s will. From a young age he was destined for a lot. He was anointed king by Samuel at a young age. However he continued to be a shepherd who tended flocks. However his heart was always for God and His people. When David took down Goliath it was because the Philistines defied a living God and the army He had placed (1 Samuel 17:26). David fought for his God and the people of God’s nation. He was a warrior who fought for his love and all that was dear to his love.
Whenever Jesus went to heal, the Bible often mentions that He was moved with compassion for the person. It was compassion that caused Jesus to war against the sickness and disease over the person. We as men need to be soft enough to feel the compassion of the Lord yet strong enough to fight for the life of a person or a group of people. I believe a true man is humble and soft to the ways of God but also strong and righteous in battle for God and His loves.
Lord I thank you for Your love that designed the heart of man and we repent where we have distorted Your design and where we have compromised Your purpose for men. We ask Lord that You would build in us a heart of a true man, to see the beauty that You hold and also the strength to fight for our Love, which is You, Jesus Christ. Teach us Lord to understand Your design and purpose for us as men. Teach us to wield our weapons with purpose in Your divine will. Deliver us from our passivity and bring us into Your authority and assertiveness. We make ourselves willing and open to Your dealings and training. Let Your will be done. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
What comes to mind when you hear the statement, ‘A man after God’s own heart?’
Do you picture a soft man, a gentle and passive man? That may be true but have you ever seen it as a man after the heart of God. Let me word it this way: A man in pursuit of God’s own heart?
What has happened to the men of God? What does it mean to be a true man of God? What does a Man of and in God look like? I have been asking these questions. Men in the modern church have been emasculated; our view of the bride of Christ has been inaccurate. The question has gone through my mind, how are we, as men, the bride of Christ? We are men, not brides, men don’t become brides. When you think of a bride you think of amazing beauty, soft heart and gentle spirit. This view has lost an important aspect of men. A man is strong, assertive and righteous in spirit. What does a man pursuing the heart of God look like?
A man was designed to pursue what he loves. A man will do almost anything for the woman he’s pursuing. There is no greater thing in a man than to behold beauty and then to pursue it with all his heart. We are taught that God is a romantic and wooing God (that He is) but how does a man express his love? We are taught God pursues us with His love and we are meant to sit idle waiting to be swept off our feet. To be honest that does not sound romantic to me. I want to be able to chase my love down. Go on the hunt for the heart of God. Men were designed not to be swept off their feet in love but to pursue love with a full heart. They need to capture a glimpse of the beauty of God and never let that go and chase that beauty for as long as it takes. We are told that men are visual creatures so why is it we do not seek to see God’s face, to see His beauty? As men we need to see the beauty of God and be captivated by it and never forget. We need to be always on the hunt for God’s beauty.
John the apostle is an example to me of what a man of God is. What stands out to me is that he was a man truly in an intimate relationship with Jesus and his love for Him is great. You can see in the first book of John. John is someone who knows the love of the Lord and knows how to show his love to God and the people of the church and this world. John was the apostle who felt so comfortable and loving enough to lean against the breast of Jesus. I find it interesting that it was John who was shown the ultimate beauty of the Lord through the revelation that God displayed to him about the coming glory of Christ returning. As far as I can see John must have been a man seeking the beauty of God to receive such an awesome and awe inspiring vision of the Lord. John had captured a glimpse of the beauty of Jesus Christ and he chased after that beauty and God continued to unveil His beauty to him throughout the rest of his life resulting in the immense revelation of Jesus’ glorious return.
Where have the strong men gone, the men who fight for the ones they love? Unfortunately the fight in men has become so misplaced that it has caused much harm to families and those around them. Men are fascinated by violence, as young boys there’s nothing like wrestling with brothers and Dad. All the way growing up you test your strength against the other men in your life. Godly men should be the most spiritually violent men around. Give a man love and he will fight for it until he falls. A man loves to love and fights for love. If a man loves God he will be fighting for that love of His. How many movies do you see where a man fights to regain his loved ones. The hero always has to save his beloved. Most male movies all have a romantic flame to fight for. If we love God we should fight for God.
"And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force."
Matthew 11:12
We have women in the church who intercede for hours and hours for those around them. If you asked who is on the intercession team then you would probably find a majority of women. If a man fights for his love and what his love holds dear then men should be flocking to intercession meetings! Have church men become so passive that they have lost the ability to fight? In intercession and prayer a man should be wading into a battle. A man should see this world and see how it grieves his love. This should be his call to arms. Love is his call to arms.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Ephesians 6:12
David is the man mentioned in Acts 13:22 to be a man after God’s own heart and was willing to do all of God’s will. From a young age he was destined for a lot. He was anointed king by Samuel at a young age. However he continued to be a shepherd who tended flocks. However his heart was always for God and His people. When David took down Goliath it was because the Philistines defied a living God and the army He had placed (1 Samuel 17:26). David fought for his God and the people of God’s nation. He was a warrior who fought for his love and all that was dear to his love.
Whenever Jesus went to heal, the Bible often mentions that He was moved with compassion for the person. It was compassion that caused Jesus to war against the sickness and disease over the person. We as men need to be soft enough to feel the compassion of the Lord yet strong enough to fight for the life of a person or a group of people. I believe a true man is humble and soft to the ways of God but also strong and righteous in battle for God and His loves.
Lord I thank you for Your love that designed the heart of man and we repent where we have distorted Your design and where we have compromised Your purpose for men. We ask Lord that You would build in us a heart of a true man, to see the beauty that You hold and also the strength to fight for our Love, which is You, Jesus Christ. Teach us Lord to understand Your design and purpose for us as men. Teach us to wield our weapons with purpose in Your divine will. Deliver us from our passivity and bring us into Your authority and assertiveness. We make ourselves willing and open to Your dealings and training. Let Your will be done. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Monday, 11 April 2011
How Do We Grieve The Holy Spirit?
by Glenice Mills
The Holy Spirit can be the most abused part of the Godhead. We are quick to call on Him in our time of need, and use Him as a means to a quick fix, on tap instant feel good. This may seem a bit ‘out there’ but in these days and times it is crucial we examine our hearts and see in what way we hurt, offend and grieve the Holy Spirit. I think we would all be surprised how we sometimes truly treat the Holy Spirit both individually and corporately. The Holy Spirit is often spoken of as a gentleman, One who does not push Himself on people, but rather stands back and waits until we reach out to Him. He desires us to call on Him in our time of need. He is always waiting for us to move toward Him, but unfortunately we often leave it until it is too late. This is usually when a crisis comes, then we call on Him with a ‘make something right as quickly as possible so we don‘t have to endure too much hardship’ attitude. We know the Holy Spirit is with us always, and that He abides on the inside of us. However we can take Him for granted, forgetting He is a part of the Godhead, a part of the Father and the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
I often wonder what He is feeling as we go about our daily activities and then gather together for our church meetings. Sadly I think He is often added to the mix of what we want for ourselves, and then we expect Him to endorse what we are saying and doing. Now is the time to check our heart attitudes, seeking the Lord as to whether our day to day activities truly glorify Him, or whether they selfishly build us up and make us prideful. If and I want to emphasise the word IF we are coming into greater maturity we must seek the Lord as to whether we are truly growing up into Him or whether we are choosing to remain shallow, immature Christians. This is not a criticism but rather a challenge: where you are at in your walk with the Lord, examining where He is wanting to take you, to grow you up into Him in a greater measure?
The Holy Spirit is always with us to call on in our time of need, however there is a big difference between crying out to Him with a need and being needy. The Holy Spirit is with us to lead and guide us to grow in our relationship with the Lord, and to help us to change and grow into the men and women we are all called and destined to be. Neediness keeps us stuck in the same place, going over the same issues, without change in our life, character, and in our circumstances. In fact it denies the power and victory of the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross at Calvary. Neediness can be a lifestyle, which in no way glorifies the Lord, and in fact grieves the Holy Spirit, because He is the one who wants to change our hearts. Our day to day routines, our going through the motions, staying with set formulas because they work and keep us safe, is not helping us mature. In fact they keep us bound because of their false sense of security and safety. It may have worked in the past, but in the times coming this has the potential to have us fall to compromise setting us up to miss what is happening around and about us. If we are not careful deception could blind us to the truth of what is an enemy ploy to bind God’s people in an hour when we need to be on the alert.
The area of worship is an example of where we can often go through the motions and then add the Holy Spirit to the mix, when in fact He is often not even there. The Holy Spirit does remove His anointing when we decide to go down a certain path. This is when He leaves us to our own devices until we reach the end of the road, and we have to call out to Him to bring us back on course, back on the path He originally wanted us to go down. I think this happens often in our time of worship. We need to ask ourselves how much worship is of the Spirit and how much is our soul? We can easily assume the verse that says where two or three or more are gathered He is in the midst, which is true, but it doesn’t necessarily mean He is actually Lord of the meeting. The Holy Spirit is with us but is He leading the proceedings? Are we giving Him opportunity to have His way among us, to speak to us, to show us His heart, to lead us to repentance? Do we give Him time to pour out His love upon us? He does not work on a set timetable but yet we expect the Holy Spirit to work in with us rather than us submitting to His timings.
Matthew 15:8, 9
"These people draw near to Me with their mouth,
And honour Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.
And in vain they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men."
Unfortunately we can praise and worship appearing to be doing the right thing, but be far from Him. This is going through the motions for appearances sake. This does not produce change in the hearts and lives of God’s people. The Lord knows our hearts, He knows whether we are open to His leading or just going along with the façade. Praise and worship is not a formula. The Holy Spirit does not want to be boxed in, but rather have a freedom to minister how He so pleases. That will come in as many diverse ways as He so chooses. All He is looking for is an opportunity and a people prepared to wait on Him, seek His will for what He wants to do, and then willingly go with His leading. True praise and worship is a heart attitude, about coming before the Lord, yielding our lives to Him, and asking for His Holy Spirit to come and have His way among us. When the Holy Spirit moves among His people there will be change. People will experience an encounter with Him, not an emotion based experience, but rather a ministering in a deep and profound way that leaves a person knowing they are not the same as when they came in the door.
Ephesians 4:30 - 32
"And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.
And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you."
Do not grieve the Holy Spirit is an instruction. Clearly we can grieve Him, particularly by our sin and wrong deep heart attitudes. When we consider the above verses, it is truly by His grace that His Holy Spirit would even want to come and abide with us and have His way among us! The reality is we can so easily be far away from Him, often unknowingly. It is truly a fine line that we walk: the natural man versus the spiritual man. It is time in the body of Christ to consider in what ways we grieve the Holy Spirit. It starts with us as individuals, but it is also important that those in church leadership seriously pray into this matter. Religion has us doing the same things over and over again, with set formulas and ways of doing things and being with one another. The Holy Spirit is ever changing, He is the change agent, and He is looking for a people who are willing to go along with His leading. It takes courage and faith but He is faithful to do all He plans and purposes to do whether that be individually or corporately.
Discernment is crucial in these days so we know what is of God and what is not. The Holy Spirit is the one who will alert us and show us if we are going astray. However He can only come if we give Him opportunity and are available for Him to come and move among His people. That takes time: that is giving up our framework of time, and being prepared to allow Him to do what He wants to do. That is what will bring change in people’s lives, and that is what will draw people to Him. The Holy Spirit is looking for a people who love Him wholeheartedly and are willing to move with His leading. The enemy hates praise and worship and targets this area because it knows that is what brings freedom and breakthrough into people’s lives. Sadly discernment has been lacking in the body of Christ. It is the Holy Spirit Who alerts us to error and we need this gift of discernment like never before. It is about the contending between the natural man, with his sin, and the Spirit of God.
1 Corinthians 2:14-16
"But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.
For who has known the mind of the Lord that he might instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ."
Respect and honour are being lost in these days. Sadly this on flows into the church and it has crept into the way we treat the Lord and the Holy Spirit. It is in fact mocking and dishonouring of Who the Holy Spirit is and it grieves Him.
It is time to return to Him, to His ways and be the people we are meant to be: one’s who walk in the reverential fear of the Lord. That pleases God and blesses the Holy Spirit!!!
Help us Lord to come back to You and Your ways!!! We need You. Forgive us for any way we have dishonoured and disrespected the Holy Spirit by taking Him for granted, assuming He endorses what we say and do. Teach us to walk in the reverential fear of the Lord, that we would be quick to confess our sins in obedience to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Continue to show us where we have grieved the Holy Spirit particularly in the areas of praise and worship. Change our hearts Lord as we learn what it is to worship You in Spirit and in Truth. Let it not be done with wrong hearts but rather as a living sacrifice to You.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
So Be It!!!
(Prophetic Word given on 5 April 2011)
The Holy Spirit can be the most abused part of the Godhead. We are quick to call on Him in our time of need, and use Him as a means to a quick fix, on tap instant feel good. This may seem a bit ‘out there’ but in these days and times it is crucial we examine our hearts and see in what way we hurt, offend and grieve the Holy Spirit. I think we would all be surprised how we sometimes truly treat the Holy Spirit both individually and corporately. The Holy Spirit is often spoken of as a gentleman, One who does not push Himself on people, but rather stands back and waits until we reach out to Him. He desires us to call on Him in our time of need. He is always waiting for us to move toward Him, but unfortunately we often leave it until it is too late. This is usually when a crisis comes, then we call on Him with a ‘make something right as quickly as possible so we don‘t have to endure too much hardship’ attitude. We know the Holy Spirit is with us always, and that He abides on the inside of us. However we can take Him for granted, forgetting He is a part of the Godhead, a part of the Father and the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
I often wonder what He is feeling as we go about our daily activities and then gather together for our church meetings. Sadly I think He is often added to the mix of what we want for ourselves, and then we expect Him to endorse what we are saying and doing. Now is the time to check our heart attitudes, seeking the Lord as to whether our day to day activities truly glorify Him, or whether they selfishly build us up and make us prideful. If and I want to emphasise the word IF we are coming into greater maturity we must seek the Lord as to whether we are truly growing up into Him or whether we are choosing to remain shallow, immature Christians. This is not a criticism but rather a challenge: where you are at in your walk with the Lord, examining where He is wanting to take you, to grow you up into Him in a greater measure?
The Holy Spirit is always with us to call on in our time of need, however there is a big difference between crying out to Him with a need and being needy. The Holy Spirit is with us to lead and guide us to grow in our relationship with the Lord, and to help us to change and grow into the men and women we are all called and destined to be. Neediness keeps us stuck in the same place, going over the same issues, without change in our life, character, and in our circumstances. In fact it denies the power and victory of the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross at Calvary. Neediness can be a lifestyle, which in no way glorifies the Lord, and in fact grieves the Holy Spirit, because He is the one who wants to change our hearts. Our day to day routines, our going through the motions, staying with set formulas because they work and keep us safe, is not helping us mature. In fact they keep us bound because of their false sense of security and safety. It may have worked in the past, but in the times coming this has the potential to have us fall to compromise setting us up to miss what is happening around and about us. If we are not careful deception could blind us to the truth of what is an enemy ploy to bind God’s people in an hour when we need to be on the alert.
The area of worship is an example of where we can often go through the motions and then add the Holy Spirit to the mix, when in fact He is often not even there. The Holy Spirit does remove His anointing when we decide to go down a certain path. This is when He leaves us to our own devices until we reach the end of the road, and we have to call out to Him to bring us back on course, back on the path He originally wanted us to go down. I think this happens often in our time of worship. We need to ask ourselves how much worship is of the Spirit and how much is our soul? We can easily assume the verse that says where two or three or more are gathered He is in the midst, which is true, but it doesn’t necessarily mean He is actually Lord of the meeting. The Holy Spirit is with us but is He leading the proceedings? Are we giving Him opportunity to have His way among us, to speak to us, to show us His heart, to lead us to repentance? Do we give Him time to pour out His love upon us? He does not work on a set timetable but yet we expect the Holy Spirit to work in with us rather than us submitting to His timings.
Matthew 15:8, 9
"These people draw near to Me with their mouth,
And honour Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.
And in vain they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men."
Unfortunately we can praise and worship appearing to be doing the right thing, but be far from Him. This is going through the motions for appearances sake. This does not produce change in the hearts and lives of God’s people. The Lord knows our hearts, He knows whether we are open to His leading or just going along with the façade. Praise and worship is not a formula. The Holy Spirit does not want to be boxed in, but rather have a freedom to minister how He so pleases. That will come in as many diverse ways as He so chooses. All He is looking for is an opportunity and a people prepared to wait on Him, seek His will for what He wants to do, and then willingly go with His leading. True praise and worship is a heart attitude, about coming before the Lord, yielding our lives to Him, and asking for His Holy Spirit to come and have His way among us. When the Holy Spirit moves among His people there will be change. People will experience an encounter with Him, not an emotion based experience, but rather a ministering in a deep and profound way that leaves a person knowing they are not the same as when they came in the door.
Ephesians 4:30 - 32
"And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.
And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you."
Do not grieve the Holy Spirit is an instruction. Clearly we can grieve Him, particularly by our sin and wrong deep heart attitudes. When we consider the above verses, it is truly by His grace that His Holy Spirit would even want to come and abide with us and have His way among us! The reality is we can so easily be far away from Him, often unknowingly. It is truly a fine line that we walk: the natural man versus the spiritual man. It is time in the body of Christ to consider in what ways we grieve the Holy Spirit. It starts with us as individuals, but it is also important that those in church leadership seriously pray into this matter. Religion has us doing the same things over and over again, with set formulas and ways of doing things and being with one another. The Holy Spirit is ever changing, He is the change agent, and He is looking for a people who are willing to go along with His leading. It takes courage and faith but He is faithful to do all He plans and purposes to do whether that be individually or corporately.
Discernment is crucial in these days so we know what is of God and what is not. The Holy Spirit is the one who will alert us and show us if we are going astray. However He can only come if we give Him opportunity and are available for Him to come and move among His people. That takes time: that is giving up our framework of time, and being prepared to allow Him to do what He wants to do. That is what will bring change in people’s lives, and that is what will draw people to Him. The Holy Spirit is looking for a people who love Him wholeheartedly and are willing to move with His leading. The enemy hates praise and worship and targets this area because it knows that is what brings freedom and breakthrough into people’s lives. Sadly discernment has been lacking in the body of Christ. It is the Holy Spirit Who alerts us to error and we need this gift of discernment like never before. It is about the contending between the natural man, with his sin, and the Spirit of God.
1 Corinthians 2:14-16
"But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.
For who has known the mind of the Lord that he might instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ."
Respect and honour are being lost in these days. Sadly this on flows into the church and it has crept into the way we treat the Lord and the Holy Spirit. It is in fact mocking and dishonouring of Who the Holy Spirit is and it grieves Him.
It is time to return to Him, to His ways and be the people we are meant to be: one’s who walk in the reverential fear of the Lord. That pleases God and blesses the Holy Spirit!!!
Help us Lord to come back to You and Your ways!!! We need You. Forgive us for any way we have dishonoured and disrespected the Holy Spirit by taking Him for granted, assuming He endorses what we say and do. Teach us to walk in the reverential fear of the Lord, that we would be quick to confess our sins in obedience to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Continue to show us where we have grieved the Holy Spirit particularly in the areas of praise and worship. Change our hearts Lord as we learn what it is to worship You in Spirit and in Truth. Let it not be done with wrong hearts but rather as a living sacrifice to You.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
So Be It!!!
(Prophetic Word given on 5 April 2011)
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