The Alpha and the Omega

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord...
(Rev 1:8)

Jesus here declares Himself to be the “Alpha and the Omega” which means He has established, by His eternal word, what will be, from first to last, beginning to end. But notice that the title is not Alpha or Omega. The two are meant to be inseparable. This says to me that Christ is obligated, by His word, to complete only what He has begun.

Consider that though I might be a believer who reads my Bible daily, prays without ceasing, and maintains my faith in God’s word, I could still be under the enemy’s jurisdiction in my marriage, workplace, ministry etc. simply because I have never dedicated them to the Lord. In so doing, I’ve failed to make Jesus the “Alpha” over my marriage, workplace, ministry, etc. since it was I who originated them not Him. And if He’s not Lord over these things, He is under no scriptural obligation to provide counsel, protection, or provision concerning them. In short, if He’s not the “Alpha” (beginning) over these things, He will not be the “Omega” (ending) either.

But my wedding happened years ago. I’ve been working the same job for decades. What can I possibly do about this now? The answer is, repent of not committing these things to Christ at the beginning, and dedicate them to His Lordship from this day forward.

The moment we do this, Christ becomes the “Alpha” of these areas of our life, and if He’s the Alpha, He is also the “Omega”, which means that…

…He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: (Philippians 1:6)

What is Revelation?

The scriptures teach that faith is born in us as we hear the rhema word of God (Romans 10:17). Since “rhema” is just another way of saying “revelation”, we can confidently say that faith also comes by revelation, without revelation it is impossible to please God, and revelation without works is dead.

For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. (Galatians 1:12)

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
(Ephesians 1:17)

How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery… Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; (Ephesians 3:3-5)

Revelation comes when the Holy Spirit opens our understanding of scripture in a way that 1) surpasses conventional wisdom, and 2) is always confirmed by two or more diverse scriptural passages (witnesses).

But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken. (Isaiah 28:13)

The prophet is saying here, by the Holy Spirit, that the word of God is meant to be understood through inspiration of God, “line upon line, here a little, there a little”, not by merely reading and studying the text, but by bringing it to God in prayer for revelation of the deeper meaning. He warns that all who deny this approach to learning scripture will “fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken”.

Jesus said much the same thing in the book of Matthew:

Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. (Matthew 13:13)

The Lord says here that He spoke in parables for a reason, so that the ones who desired to learn the true meaning of the parable would come to Him in private to receive this “revelation”, while the rest would simply go away confused without receiving the hidden blessing.

Far too many in the body of Christ today get their understanding from reading Bible commentaries or listening to teachers in their local church or the media. This may well explain why the church is in the state she’s in, “having a form of Godliness but denying its power.” This was never the Father’s intention. He has always desired that we come to Him directly to receive revelation of His word, for it’s only through revelation that a genuine faith is born in us, a faith to move mountains in Jesus’ name.

It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.
(John 6:45)

The Lord's Table

And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. (Rev 19:9)

A meal consists of both food and drink. Drink alone is not a meal, neither is food alone. What we drink is easily absorbed into the body as it requires no chewing at all to make it digestible. What we eat does require chewing, for if we were to gulp it down like a drink, we’d have a very difficult time digesting it into the blood stream.

We have a great deal to say about this, and it's difficult to explain... everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced with the message about righteousness, because he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature--for those whose senses have been trained to distinguish between good and evil.
(Heb 5:11-14)

Infants must drink their meals because they have no teeth for which to chew solid food and their digestive systems aren’t fully developed. But when an infant becomes a child, they can no longer be sustained by milk alone and must begin to eat solid food.

The same is true in the spirit. If I hope to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord and His Kingdom, I must learn to “chew” my spiritual food -- the word of God. This means to meditate before the Lord on the things I don’t understand, rather than simply spit them out like a child. And like a child, the one who spits out the strong meat because he prefers milk simply will not grow at the rate of his peers. For a healthy body requires both milk and meat.

Then they will come from east and west, from north and south, and recline at the table in the kingdom of God.
(Luk 13:29)

Faith vs. Acceptance

For faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the (rhema) word of God.
(Rom 10:17)

This scripture clearly says I can’t have true faith until I’ve heard God speak to me. “Rhema” is a Greek word meaning “utterance”, as opposed to the Greek word “logos”, which generally refers to a “written word”. The bible is the “logos”, or written word of God. But faith doesn’t come by hearing or reading the “logos” it comes only by hearing the “rhema” word of God.

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
(Joh 10:27)

It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.
(Joh 6:45)

The anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you don't need anyone to teach you. Instead, His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie; just as it has taught you, remain in Him.
(1Jn 2:27)

My “acceptance” of the truth of God’s word, no matter how strong, is simply not enough. Even when I add works to my acceptance it will not produce so much as a sprig of the promised fruit of the Spirit. And why not? Because God created me for intimacy, first with Him, then with others. It would be contrary to God’s own purpose to grant me my requests, no matter how well meaning they may be, when they are founded on acceptance of His truth rather than true intimacy with Him. This is why Jesus said…

…"For I assure you: If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. (Mat 17:20)

Whether my faith is born of a whisper from God (mustard seed) or a shout is not the issue. The issue is, did I hear from Him at all, because if I did, and I act on what I heard, The Lord says nothing will be impossible for me. But by the same token, if I didn’t hear God and act instead on what is written or what I accept or believe to be true, I should expect nothing from the Lord, which is exactly what I will receive, for His purpose trumps everything else, and His purpose has been and always will be -- intimacy.

For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. (Rom 1:17)

For without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who diligently seek Him. (Heb 11:6)

The Golden Altar

Unlike the brazen altar which stood in the outer court where all of Israel could see it in the light of the sun, the golden altar was hidden from public view in the Holy Place of the temple. Only the priests could see it in the light of the golden lamp stand. As Jesus said...

When you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Mathew 6:6)

While it's certainly possible and profitable to pray in almost any setting, the Lord's desire is that I would set myself apart from any distractions, so I might hear Him clearly when He speaks. This is to be my version of the "golden altar". And like the old testament priests, it should be a place I visit daily, with a heart to "hear what the Spirit is saying". For it's only in "hearing" God speak that true faith is born in me.

And without faith it is impossible to please God... (Hebrews 11:6)

And we know that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the (rhema) word of God. (Romans 10:17)

..."For I assure you: If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. (Matthew 17:20)

...Nevertheless when the Son of man comes, will He find faith on the earth? (Luke 18:8)

The Pattern on the Mountain

These serve as a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was warned when he was about to complete the tabernacle. For He said, Be careful that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown to you on the mountain.
(Hebrews 8:5)

God showed Moses a pattern for the building of the tabernacle, an eternal blueprint that left no room for error in its duplication, for this tabernacle would become the very house of God on the earth.

This pattern, being eternal, exists today and is relevant for all who would desire the manifest Presence of God in their lives and ministries. Understanding the pattern is critical if we hope to avoid the snares and pitfalls the enemy has laid to keep us out of the place of blessing and provision – the Presence of God.

From the ALTAR to the LAVER (the outer court)

The pattern God revealed to Moses began with the BRAZEN ALTAR. It was here the sacrifices of Israel were offered and accepted. By their daily offerings the people were declaring God’s sovereignty over their lives. There can be no entrance into the Presence of God until He is declared LORD of all we possess or control.

The LAVER was placed at the entrance to the holy place for the washing of the priests hands after ministering before the altar. There can be no entrance into the Presence of God until we have washed ourselves of the idols and other worldly influences the enemy uses to keep us out of the inner court.

From the Laver to the Golden Altar (The inner court)

The Priests would daily offer incense on the GOLDEN ALTAR as a “sweet savor unto God”. It was here the priests would hear God speak His holy counsel for Israel. While prayers may be offered at any time and in any place, hearing the voice of God requires that we set ourselves apart for this purpose.

From the GOLDEN ALTAR to the LAMP STAND

The LAMP STAND provided all of the light in the Holy Place and, once lit by fire from the brazen altar, was to be kept continually burning. God’s rhema word spoken into our hearts ignites the candle of our faith which produces the works through us that will become our testimony (light) to others.

From the LAMP STAND to the SHOWBREAD

Twelve loaves of bread were to be displayed on a golden table each day. Only the priests were permitted to eat from these loaves. It is the power and love of our faith-born testimony that makes our words palatable (as bread) to the nations.

From the SHOWBREAD to the MERCY SEAT (Holy of Holies)

The lid of the Ark of the Covenant was composed of solid gold. It was here, on the MERCY SEAT, the Shekinah Glory of God would appear in a cloud. The highest goal of any child of the Kingdom is to both know and make known the unfathomable riches of God’s mercy and love.

From the MERCY SEAT to the ARK OF THE COVENANT

The ark contained three holy objects – Aaron’s rod that budded, a golden jar of manna, and the tablets upon which God wrote the ten commandments. When I have learned to trust completely in God’s election of me (Aaron’s rod), provision to me (manna), and righteousness in me (ten commandments) then I will have entered into His promised rest (Covenant).

Understanding the Kingdom: The Parable of the Sower

This is a familiar parable, one that’s often used in church sermons, and like the other six the Lord gives us in Matthew 13, a parable that’s often misunderstood. The Lord’s sole reason for giving this parable is to define the “Kingdom of Heaven” and, consequently, it’s the gospel of the Kingdom that Christ refers to as the “seed” to be sown.

Hear therefore the parable of the sower. When any one hears the word of the kingdom…

Christ walked for 3 ½ years on the earth and during that time spoke almost exclusively about the Kingdom of Heaven. Instead of following in the Lord’s footsteps by trumpeting His gospel of the Kingdom, the modern evangelical church has diluted the message into a gospel of salvation, making salvation the primary objective instead of merely the first step of a personal journey to establish God’s Kingdom on the earth. Because of this, the church has, for the most part, been sown in less than fertile soil resulting in unacceptable fruit.

But, where would the church be without this gospel of salvation? Without question, this diluted gospel has been responsible for millions of people, myself included, coming to understand and believe in the finished work of Christ. But, it has also been responsible for the watered down, lifeless Christianity that characterizes the great majority of churches and individual Christians today.

And why is this so? Because Christ died to give us a Kingdom not an organization. We have been saved to live as Kings and Priests unto God, not as mere church members. One gospel instills a sense of purpose, destiny, accountability to the King etc., the other serves as little more than insurance against an eternity in Hell.

But he that receives the seed into good ground is he that hears the word (of the Kingdom), and understands it; which also bears fruit, and brings forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. (Mat 13:23)


And what is this “good ground” the Lord speaks of here? Since the seed is the message of the Kingdom, the ground (heart) that is ready for the seed is ground that is willing and committed to making Christ the King (Lord) of their life. It’s only by putting Him first in all things that He is truly King. Marginalizing the Lord to whenever I can squeeze Him in, giving Him whatever money I have left after my needs are met, and praying only when I have a need are all symptoms of “another” gospel.

As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that you have received, let him be accursed. (Gal 1:9)


This was the first of Christ's seven Kingdom parables and, consequently, should have preeminence in my understanding. If I believe I'm called to establish the Lord's Kingdom on earth, I must first devote myself and everything I have to making Him the King of my own life.



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Understanding the Kingdom: The Parable of the Man Who Sowed Good Seed

Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: (Mat 13:24)

The “man” speaks of Christ the King, and the “good seed” represents His Kingdom. Christ came as King to sow His Kingdom into the earth.

But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat... (Mat 13:25)

This warns of a spiritual ignorance that would develop within the Kingdom (“while men slept”), much as it did in Adam, who though charged by God to “tend and guard” the garden of Eden, somehow allowed the serpent to get in and tempt Eve. This same spiritual ignorance makes it possible for satan to sow his carnal kingdom among the true sons and daughters of God even today. The result of this is a church that has both true Kingdom children and false carnal children in her midst, effectively creating a state of lukewarmness that is fit only to be vomited from the Lord’s mouth.

This parable is written as both a warning and a remedy for this pathetic condition. The warning is clear…

Come out from among them, and be separate, saith the Lord…

We are called to live holy lives, not simply because the Lord commands it, because it’s our protection from the enemy. Whatever the enemy has sown belongs to him. If I, either in ignorance or presumptively, walk after the things of this world, including its brand of carnal Christianity, I make myself a servant of the one who has sown these things in the earth.

Touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, (2Co 6:17)

This is the Lord’s only remedy for Christians who find themselves planted in the wrong field. If they truly desire to walk in Kingdom intimacy and blessing, they must separate themselves from EVERYTHING in their lives not sown of God. And they must do it now, before the harvest comes…

For in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. (Mat 13:30)


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Understanding the Kingdom: The Parable of the Mustard Seed

Understanding the Kingdom: The Parable of the Mustard Seed

Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:
(Mat 13:31)

Throughout human history we would be hard pressed to find a people more outwardly concerned with faithfulness than the Jews. Yet it is to them the Lord Jesus spoke the following…

…"If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you would tell this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it would move. Nothing would be impossible for you. (Mat 17:20)

Why would Jesus say such a thing to the faithful Jews? Because the faith He was speaking about was not a natural but a spiritual faith. Natural faith is little more than a strong confidence in a person (God) or and outcome (prophecy). This kind of faith can be conditioned into a person through repetitive practice of religious tradition. Jesus knew this was the “faith” of the Jews and that it had no real power, for if it did surely someone would have accepted Christ’s challenge to “tell this mountain to move from here to there”.

Christ uses the example of the tiny mustard seed to make a powerful point about true Christian faith -- that it’s much more than ritual bible reading, prayer, church attendance or even ministry, all of which can be accomplished without any assistance from God whatsoever. True faith exceeds mere confidence in God and His word. True faith is found only in the “knowing” that ignores all evidence to the contrary. The “knowing” that has its roots in “hearing” God “speak” into the heart. It’s only when I’ve “heard” God say “Go and tell the mountain to move in my Name and it will obey you.” that I am emboldened to do so before witnesses.

Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word (rhema) of God.
(Rom 10:17)

For many years I confused reading the word with “hearing” God. I put my “faith” in what I read and found myself continually frustrated by the outcome. The Lord never intended the word to replace sitting at His feet and listening to Him. True, He always uses the word to confirm what I hear, but the word alone can never produce the “knowing” faith in that word that will move mountains.

For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
(Rom 1:17)

This is why Jesus likens the Kingdom of Heaven to a mustard seed, because it represents a faith born of “hearing” God. And from that deep conviction comes the action that produces the “greater things” Christ prophesied I and every true disciple would do in His Name.

…for when it (mustard seed) is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. (Mat 13:32)


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Understanding the Kingdom: The Parable of the Leaven

The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. (Mat 13:33)

In this, often misunderstood parable, Christ is comparing His glorious Kingdom on earth to leaven hidden in some bread dough. There’s no way I can conceive of that referring to sin, as many have suggested, for that would mean Christ was likening His Kingdom to the spread of sin throughout the earth. What, then, is the Lord referring to here?

I believe the “leaven” in this parable speaks of a true witness of Christ. It’s only through my witness that my world is impacted. My relationship with God, no matter how close, will have little discernible effect on those around me unless I’m putting what I’m hearing into practice. This produces a true witness through me that wields a powerful influence on those with whom I come in contact on a daily basis (“until the whole was leavened”). Like Moses who’s face supernaturally glowed letting everyone around him know he’d spent time with the Lord, our un-mechanical, unrehearsed love and faithfulness bears witness to our circle of friends, family, co-workers, neighbors etc. that we have been with Jesus.

For you yourselves are our letter, written on your hearts, recognized and read by everyone, (2Co 3:2)

This is the witness that makes people say, “he’s got something I want”. It doesn’t come from preaching at people, nor does it come from judging them. It comes from being with Jesus and hearing Him speak. For we all know that “faith comes by hearing”, and “faith without works is dead”.

Understanding the Kingdom: The Parable of the Hidden Treasure

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, that a man found and reburied…

I believe the “treasure”, here, speaks of a believer’s calling into ministry. Until I know it, my calling is something I desire and diligently seek after, but upon finding it, I immediately realize there’s still much work that needs to be done in me before I’ll be ready for such a Heavenly task. This is the reburying of the treasure Jesus refers to in the parable. It would be the height of foolishness and human pride for me to promote my calling to the world, as that would only invite the mocking and negativity that would surely quench my passion for the call. I must keep it to myself (bury it) until the Lord says otherwise, and, in the mean time, allow Him to complete His work in me to make me ready for the call.

Then in his joy he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field. (Mat 13:44)

And this is the work the Lord must first accomplish in me. I MUST LEARN TO VALUE THE MISSION FIELD MORE THAN MISSION. I must be willing to surrender everything for the sake of the people God has called me to. They must be the joy set before me or I will not be able to endure the cross of persecution, affliction, temptation, and lack that is sure to accompany any effective ministry. Until I’m willing to “sell everything” to “buy that field”, the “treasure” of my calling may just as well remain buried. But once I begin to experience the Lord’s own burden for His “field”, then I’m free to dig up the treasure and share it openly as I begin to walk it out in faith as He leads and provides.


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Understanding the Kingdom: The Parable of the Merchant

The sixth parable of the seven in Matthew 13 describes the Kingdom of Heaven as a “merchant seeking fine pearls”. This speaks of, what should be, the foundational quest of every believer – the “pearl of great price” which is love from a pure heart. However, it’s not the pearl that defines the Kingdom in this parable, but the merchant seeking the pearl.

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls.
(Mat 13:45)

This says that the quest for love is as important as the attainment of it, for it is the quest that defines the Kingdom and my place in it. The Lord, here, uses the “pearl” as a metaphor for love, because pearls are created from mere sand, afflicted and irritated over a long period of time in the dark belly of a clam. This speaks to me of ministry, because it’s only in true ministry that my desire to love and serve God can be daily tested to produce in me that “one pearl of great price”.

The daily trials of a God ordained ministry expose the pride, fear, personal agendas etc. that underlie my motives. This can either destroy the ministry (as it's done to many, often in a very public, humiliating way) or purify it as I allow God to purge me of my impure agendas and produce in me the “love from a pure heart” that bears true witness to His Name.

The truth is, without a ministry to test and refine it, my “love” is little more than mechanical obedience to the law. It’s only in the daily fires, afflictions, and irritations of ministry, that I am either destroyed, or made pure in love for His Kingdom. This is the quest every Kingdom believer should be following, for as the parable teaches:

Kingdom of Heaven = believers seeking to love others from a pure heart.


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Understanding the Kingdom: The Parable of the Net

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: (Mat 13:47)

This is the last of seven Kingdom parables the Lord spoke to the Jews in Matthew 13. That it was last speaks of its importance, for the Lord, Himself, said, “The last shall be first.”.

In this parable, Christ likens the Kingdom of Heaven to a “net” with its purpose to “gather” fish from the sea of “every kind”. The Lord is indicating here that there are many kinds of fish in the sea, or more to the point, many kinds of people in the world, including the poor, the wealthy, the weak, the strong, the influential, and the insignificant. To reach them all would require many different kinds of ministries. A ministry that might connect well with the homeless, would probably have little or no connection with the rich and famous. A ministry to the influential people of society would likely not relate to the blue collar Joes, and so on.

But what if God has purposed me for a specific ministry, say, to the poor, but I never hear His call to this, or even if I do, never fully step into it? Does this mean the poor intended for my stewardship must remain unreached? Not at all. Rest assured, what God has spoken in eternity will have its fulfillment in this life.

But, for this to happen, God will need someone else to step into my mantle. He could start from scratch and train someone up to walk in my ministry, but I don’t believe that’s His preferred way of doing it. Most likely, God will use someone who’s already walking in the fullness and blessing of their own ministry. He will call on them because they have proven themselves faithful. He will expand their tents to include my ministry, and the blessing I would’ve received will now be deposited into their account.

Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. (Mat 25:28-29)

God will not lose a single soul because of my disobedience or ignorance. His has purposed to train up believers to become a “net” in His hands, that He may use as He wills to gather the lost into His Kingdom. When my life and ministry have matured to the place where God can use me to gather up the lost "of every kind" who have been abandoned by others whom God intended for that ministry… then I’ve become part of that great Kingdom “net” in the hands of the Lord.


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What Is My Spiritual Temperature? (pt. 7 of 7)

When I have purposefully declared Christ to be the absolute ruler of my life (step one); set myself apart from the things of the world to draw closer to Him (step two); sat at His feet as a disciple eager to learn the deep things of God through His word and Spirit (step three); transformed my witness from one of ritual obedience to one of true faith born of “hearing” the Lord speak to my heart (step four); received the Lord’s burden for His people and responded to His call to a specific ministry to address that burden (step five); and seen my own pride or fear-driven motives and agendas bubble to the surface so God could purge them from me and my ministry (step six) – then and only then have I reached the place God has been drawing me to my entire life -- the place of absolute rest in Him.

If I know and understand God’s program for spiritual growth, I can take my spiritual temperature at any time I choose. Should I find myself not at rest with God, I know there’s pride or fear in me that needs to be purged. If there’s pride or fear controlling my agenda, it’s because I haven’t connected fully with the Lord’s burden for His people. If I don’t have the Lord’s burden, it’s only because He is still working on my Christian witness to my family and friends, workplace and church. If I can’t seem to establish a good witness, it’s because I haven’t been hearing God intimately. If I’m not hearing His voice, it’s only because I’ve allowed something in my life to get between me and God. And if I’ve allowed something between me and God, it’s only because I have forgotten that He is the Lord of my life.

I can’t speak for anyone else, but it’s a great source of comfort to know that God has provided this “glory cloud” for me to follow, just as He did for the nation of Israel in the old testament. Because of this, I, like Israel before me, am without excuse for not remaining under the Lord’s protection and blessing while growing in the grace and knowledge of His Kingdom.

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What Is My Spiritual Temperature? (pt. 6 of 7)

Once the Lord gives me His burden and calls me into a particular ministry, He then begins to open the doors that were once closed up tight, doors that lead to His support and provision to manifest His vision into reality (step five). This is where the next stage of my spiritual growth begins, in the refining fires of ministry, where the Lord begins to reveal the pride and hidden agendas within my heart.

I will put this third through the fire; I will refine them as silver is refined and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say: They are My people, and they will say: The LORD is our God." (Zec 13:9)

This refining process has led to the fall of many ministers and ministries both past and present. Some have fallen because they simply got ahead of God’s program, believing that their gifts and anointings were all they needed to enter ministry. Still others have stayed on course with God’s plan for their life, only to find their own pride rising up to take control of the work and covet the glory as well.

The truth is, if I operate apart from God’s established order, satan will allow me to rise just high enough in my ministry so that my fall, when it comes, will be public and humiliating both to myself and the body of Christ. This is why the refining must come when the ministry is thriving on all cylinders. When everything I put my hands to is being blessed, and my name is on the letterhead, it’s then I must be willing to let God expose my hidden motives so they can be confessed and purged from my life and ministry, leaving no stumbling stone for the enemy to trip me up.

Once God has done His work of refining my heart, I am ready for the seventh and final step in my journey to spiritual maturity…

To be concluded…


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What Is My Spiritual Temperature? (pt. 5 of 7)

Having a true witness of Christ in my life (step four), one that flows from faith produced by the rhema of God (step three), draws me closer than I’ve ever been to the heart of the Lord. I’m no longer merely going through the motions of faith, but living it as though He were living through me, which is exactly what’s happening. This intimacy with God begins to create in me a burden for the things that burden His heart. It’s this burden that leads me into step five, as the burden becomes a heavenly calling on my life to enter into the ministry that has always been my destiny.

Many have entered ministry thinking it to be the right thing to do without ever considering God’s timing or they’re own spiritual readiness for the task. There are ministers today who have entered the field without any thought to the state of their personal witness, marriage, relationships with family etc., and many have fallen hard because of these things which became easy inroads for satan into their lives.

God has one path to ministry and there are no shortcuts. If my life evidences the love, mercy, intimacy, conviction and faithfulness of my King (step four), then my heart will begin to feel the compassion of His burden for a specific ministry, one that He has spent my entire lifetime preparing me for. This is the fifth step of my spiritual journey, but there are yet two more steps the Lord wants me to take to reach the place He has for me in His Kingdom on earth…

To be continued…



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What Is My Spiritual Temperature? (pt. 4 of 7)

As I spend quality, set apart time at the feet of the Lord, hearing His rhema, letting His word renew my mind and heart (third step), I find myself moving inexorably into the fourth step – the witness of faith.

“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word (rhema) of God.” Romans 10:17

Hearing God produces true faith in me, and since I know that “faith without works is dead”, I find myself being increasingly led by His Spirit to live a holy life that’s pleasing to Him.

“I must decrease, He must increase.”

This holy life that results from hearing and obeying God, now projects itself into everything I do. No longer is my witness of Christ merely mechanical, based on blind obedience to the manners of Christianity. My faith has been made alive by the rhema of God. Every relationship, every task, no matter how great or trivial, as well as every trial and tribulation I encounter is now governed by this rhema-born faith in the word of God. This becomes a witness to my little sphere of influence that Christ is both the Lord and strength of my life, which produces the evidence to convict me of being a true follower of Christ, and no longer a mere professor.

Once the fruit of my intimacy with God begins to show itself in a living witness, I am ready to proceed to the next giant step in my journey of spiritual growth…

To be continued…


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What Is My Spiritual Temperature? (pt. 3 of 7)

The third step on my path to spiritual growth is one that, like the others before it, must be continually practiced in my life to receive the fullest benefit. Having made Christ the true Lord of my life (step one), and pro-actively set myself apart to Him (step two), I’m now able to receive His Holy rhema into my heart. Though I may have read and re-read dozens of scriptures from the beginning of my walk with Christ, it’s only now, when I’ve consciously set myself apart from the distractions and hindrances of my life, that I can truly begin to “hear” His voice through the scriptures.

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: (Joh 10:27)

There is no greater blessing than to hear the Master’s voice as He becomes my teacher, leading me through the scriptures, bringing to mind both old and new testament verses in ways I could never have imagined. What once was dry and dusty “manna” has now become the precious “fruit of the promised land”. The hidden mysteries of God begin to unfold like a flower as I sit at the Teacher’s feet. This is true discipleship and an absolute necessity to both achieve and maintain true spiritual growth.

It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.
(Joh 6:45)

If I’m not “hearing” God in this way, it’s likely because I still have some spiritual “white noise” in my life -- something that doesn’t belong -- and it’s effectively drowning out the Lord’s voice to me. I can cry out in prayer for God to speak, but the truth is, He is already speaking. I just can’t hear Him through this “white noise”.

When I begin to receive God’s “signal” my spiritual temperature reaches fever pitch. But there is yet a higher place to pursue in my life’s journey with Christ…

To be continued…


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What Is My Spiritual Temperature? (pt. 2 of 7)

The second step on the path of spiritual growth is probably the most crucial of all and one I have repeatedly overlooked in my walk with Christ. Having made the conscious decision to submit my life to Christ as Lord (first step) I must now make a concentrated effort to separate myself to Him.

Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. (1Pe 1:16)

When I make a determined effort to strip away everything in my life that holds me down; old ways of thinking, old habits, old desires, worldly relationships etc. I am, in effect, clearing away the darkness and debris that insulates me against the light of Christ that desires to shine on and through me. This light is the essence of true holiness, and holiness is the armor that guards us against the enemy’s temptations. When I get myself clear of the “white noise” of my former way of life, I find myself positioned to receive the Lord’s “true signal”, a signal that’s always being broadcast, but rarely received because of the spiritual interference I’ve allowed in my life.

Setting myself apart to Him certainly raises my spiritual temperature. But there is more to learn that will take me higher still…

To be continued…


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What Is My Spiritual Temperature? (pt. 1 of 7)

When I was first born again I was on fire for the Lord. His Spirit was working overtime in me. It was as if I had been transported to another realm of understanding. This stirred up all kinds of feelings, joy, repentance, hope, and a desire for the “more” that was promised in the word. If you were to take my spiritual temperature at that time I’m sure it would’ve read off the charts hot. But, as often happens in the lives of believers, it would not remain so. After awhile I found myself just going through the motions. I had become “lukewarm” not because I consciously chose to, but because I had no real compass to keep me on course. I thought, if I just kept reading my bible and faithfully going to church I’d just naturally grow into the greater things God has for me. I was wrong. I’ve since learned that spiritual growth follows a path, and that path must be known if I’m to have any hope of staying on it.

That’s when the Lord showed me that the first step of the path is to make Christ my Lord. This means more than simply accepting Christ as my savior. I must make the conscious choice to put Him above everything else in my life. I must be willing to submit every problem, anxiety, or concern directly to Him. I must be committed to going anywhere or doing anything He calls me to do. Until I’ve made this choice and declared it out loud, I will remain off the path of spiritual growth. And in that place, all the prayers and bible reading and church going I can muster won’t move me beyond square one.

But once I make this commitment and begin to take action towards it, my spiritual temperature immediately begins to rise.

To be continued…


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The Tears of Heaven

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes... (Rev 21:4)

Ever wonder what we could possibly be crying about in Heaven? Until recently I believed this probably referred to saints with loved ones who did not know the Lord and were, consequently, not with them in the hereafter. That would certainly necessitate the drying of a few tears. However, I believe there may be a better answer to this mystery and it’s one that should give pause to everyone reading this.

I believe that Genesis chapter 1 is an account of God’s restoration of creation after satan had corrupted it by making it “formless and void”. God’s first act of restoration was to speak light into this darkness of corruption, just as He spoke the light of His gospel into my heart filled with the darkness of sin and satan’s lies. Once I believed and received that gospel, light came into my darkened soul, forever negating the curse of sin and death and opening a door to a relationship with the living God.

But that was only the beginning. On the second day, God began realigning things to put them back the way He always intended them to be. Satan had mixed the waters, the holy with the profane. God’s second work was to separate them again. This speaks of His second work in me, to separate the new me from the dead weight (thought patterns, behaviors, values etc.) of the past and present me. He does this to set me free from the hindrances and distractions that would keep me from reaping the full benefits of a right relationship with Him.

On the third day, God causes the hidden soil of my heart to come into view. It’s here He begins to sow in me the deep things of His word and Spirit as the reward for my diligence in setting myself apart to Him.

On the fourth day, the fruit of the seeds sown in intimacy with God begins to manifest as a witness, a “greater light” to the world. It’s here I begin to develop the “evidence to convict me” as a true, born-again Christian.

On the fifth day, God lets me begin to see with my heart the “fish” that will become my ministry to the Kingdom. It’s here I receive my “calling”, “burden” and “vision” for the “greater things” the Lord Jesus said every believer would do.

On the sixth day, the “beasts and creeping things” also known as MY motives and MY agendas, for MY ministry, begin to rear their ugly heads. The Lord must show me the corrupt and hidden motives of my heart and purge me of them before He can fashion me into “the image of God”.

By the seventh day, He has taught me how to rest completely in Him. My own agendas have been nullified. I understand it’s not my ministry but His. He is responsible for the bills and expenses. He is responsible to deal with the false witnesses, allegations, persecutions etc. It’s in this place, where my motives have been purified, and my only reason for doing anything is TO BE WITH HIM, that He can use me to slay any giant, raise any corpse, champion any cause, and fill any void in the Kingdom where a saint of God is needed.

The bottom line of all of this… When I get to Heaven I can either stand with the saints who have “stayed the course” through all seven days of God’s work of restoration… or I can stand with those who simply heard and received the gospel on day one, those whose works of “wood, hay, and stubble” will not make the trip with them, those who “cast out devils in Jesus’ name” but never took the time “know” Him.

I choose the former because I’m convinced that when God lines us all up and shows us the incomprehensible destiny He’s had for each and every one of us in this life…

That’s when the tears will start to flow.

David and Goliath

I know what you’re thinking, “not this story again”. But indulge me a bit because I believe the Lord has something more to say on this subject.

First of all consider that, though the scripture is silent on this, Saul and all of Israel had to have been praying to God, night and day, for deliverance from the Philistines and Goliath in particular. Consider also that David became the answer to their prayers only because he ACTED in faith while the others were merely PRAYING in faith. There is also no account of David, himself, praying before he acted. There was nothing more to pray about. Saul was the anointed king and he had prayed for God’s deliverance. What could David’s prayer possibly add to that? Action, not prayer was called for, and David stepped up to be God’s instrument of deliverance for all of Israel. God worked a miracle through David because David trusted in Him enough to act.

We know that “faith without works is dead”. But often we substitute prayer as the work, believing that somehow the act of praying to God is sufficient to trigger God’s response. I don’t find this evidenced anywhere in scripture. Hebrews 11, the great “hall of faith” chapter, gives us dozens of examples of men and women of faith throughout old testament history, and every one of these accounts reveals faith in ACTION, God moving miraculously through men and women who didn’t merely pray for deliverance, but became the vessels of it.

This is in no way an attempt to diminish the role of prayer in the church. Rather it is an exhortation to take prayer to the next level by learning that it isn’t the end of our work of faith, but merely the beginning of it. David could easily have dropped to his knees and began to pray along with Saul and all of Israel for God’s deliverance. He could’ve waited day after day, sacrificing animal after animal to try and move the heart of God. We would call this “waiting on the Lord” but I believe God would call it “waiting on us”.

And why does God do this? Why doesn’t He simply take action based on our prayers? Because He has given all authority and dominion on earth to mankind, and what He has established with His word, even He cannot take back.

My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.
(Psa 89:34)

This means, like it or not, the red sea doesn’t part unless Moses stands and raises his staff over it; the walls of Jericho don’t fall unless Israel marches around it for six days; Lazarus doesn’t rise from the dead unless Christ calls to him… and our individual, personal destiny remains dormant until we DECLARE AND ACT on it in faith.


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Kingdom Law (pt. 2)

And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, and had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague…


As I consider this woman who suffered with the issue of blood, I’m struck by several things:

--She heard of Jesus. Word about Him had spread throughout Jerusalem and the surrounding areas. She had, undoubtedly, heard of His teachings and miracles and believed what she heard enough to seek Him out for her healing. This is the first principle of faith, that it comes by “hearing” the word of God.

--She said what she wanted, not what was wrong with her. By declaring in faith that she would be made whole by touching Jesus’ garment, she was implementing the Kingdom law that commands us to “speak” to the problem.

--She touched His garment. She didn’t merely say it, she did it. Had she not, her healing would not have manifested for “faith without works is dead”.

And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.
(Mar 5:25-34)

This is an amazing and often overlooked point. Jesus did not know who touched Him, therefore, He did not grant her healing based on His approval of her, her sincerity in wanting to be healed, her fasting and praying, or any other condition about which He was unaware. Her healing came directly as a result of her adherence to Kingdom Law. When she believed the word she heard, spoke aloud what she expected to happen, and acted in faith, she brought into alignment the conditions required by God for His power to flow, and it did.

In the natural, when all the conditions are right, electricity flows. If any of the laws governing this flow are violated, electricity simply will not flow. Pleading with the power company won’t accomplish a thing if the toaster’s not plugged in.

The same is true in God’s Kingdom. I can plead with God to the point of tears, fast, increase my giving, all in an attempt to “move the heart of God”, or I can simply follow directions, plug in, and watch His power and promises flow through my life and ministry to the Glory of His Name.

Kingdom Law

My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.
(Psa 89:34)

God has established His word as an unmovable, unshakable law. Whatever He has said is irrevocable, regardless of when or where He said it.

For I am the LORD, I change not...
(Mal 3:6)

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
(Heb 13:8)

This should be a source of great comfort to me for it establishes, without controversy, the parameters for flowing in the power and promise of God’s earthly Kingdom. But as I examine these laws, I find myself in violation of some. And just as the natural laws that govern the flow of electricity cannot be violated without consequence, the Spiritual laws that govern the Kingdom must also be in alignment to avoid short circuiting the flow of God’s Presence into my life.

Without faith it is impossible to please God… (Heb 11:6)

Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word (rhema) of God.
(Rom 10:17)

…whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
(Mar 11:23)

Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
(Jas 2:17)

I’ve heard and continue to hear rhema from God. It has produced in me a true faith which I do my best to live by. But the law that says to “speak to the mountain” or speak directly to my circumstance (health, finances, relationships etc.) has been repeatedly violated by me, as has the mandate from James to add “works” or action to my faith. The Lord is revealing to me how this failure to complete the “circuit” is blocking access to the flow of His Spirit and promises into my life.

I can’t simply pick and choose which of God’s laws I will obey. There are serious consequences for approaching a Holy God in such an unholy way. I must understand and practice the whole law if I want to see the whole Kingdom unfold in and through my life.

This is not legalism. This is the way things work in the Kingdom of Heaven. If I call myself a citizen of this Kingdom, then I’d be wise to understand and honor all of its laws and protocols, both for my safety, as obedience to these laws denies satan access to me, and for my effectiveness as a witness of Christ and His eternal Kingdom.

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
(Psa 1:1-3)

Noah, The Dove, and the Olive Leaf

Then he (Noah) sent out a dove to see whether the water on the earth's surface had gone down, but the dove found no resting place for her foot. She returned to him in the ark because water covered the surface of the whole earth. He reached out and brought her into the ark to himself.
(Gen 8:8-9)

The dove, here, is symbolic of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament. Noah is a type of the Father who sent His Spirit into the O.T. world searching for a place to land, a place where the waters of unbelief had receded. Finding no such place, the dove (Spirit) returned again to Noah (the Father).

So Noah waited seven more days and sent out the dove from the ark again. When the dove came to him at evening, there was a plucked olive leaf in her beak. So Noah knew that the water on the earth's surface had gone down.
(Gen 8:10-11)

This speaks of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament. The olive leaf represents dry land, a place where the waters (unbelief) have receded enough for the dove to land.

After Jesus was baptized, He went up immediately from the water. The heavens suddenly opened for Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on Him…
(Mat 3:16-17)

In this beautiful verse we see the conclusion of Genesis 8 as the dove (Holy Spirit) finally finds rest for her foot in a place where the waters of unbelief have taken no ground, the faithful heart of Jesus.

For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the whole earth (like a dove) to show Himself strong in those whose hearts are completely His...
(2Ch 16:9)

When I operate in unbelief the fruit is self evident; disobedience, fear of man, fear of insignificance, discord with others, pride, personal agendas, bitterness, unforgiveness, deceitfulness, all of which keeps the dove flying right over me in search of higher ground.

But when I operate in true, undiluted faith, giving no place to unbelief and its smothering waters, the dove will not only land in my heart and life, it will remain there.

Revelation 1:3

Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy…

Anyone can read the book of revelation, but not everyone can “hear” it.

“He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches”

Like the Lord, Himself, the revelation of Jesus Christ has both a temporal (body) and an eternal (Spirit) aspect. Reading the word may give us the temporal surface of its meaning, but only “hearing” the Word (rhema) makes possible the true spiritual understanding hidden between the lines.

Too many of us have been content to work with the surface word, twisting it this way and that to make it say something credible, then building an entire eschatology upon that straw foundation. God has always intended that He should be the lone source of understanding for this book and, indeed, all of the bible. When we come to Him with this heart attitude, He is faithful to be our teacher, encouraging us to “hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches”.

For only when we hear, can we…

…keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
(Rev 1:3)

Revelation 1:1

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him, to show unto His servants, things which must shortly come to pass…

What, exactly, is the “revelation” God gave to Christ “to show unto His servants”? The word translated here as “shortly” actually means “briefly”, “right away” or “at hand”. Therefore, we can immediately reject the popular belief that the book of revelation was given as a warning of coming natural or supernatural calamities, the rapture of the church, or some future millennial kingdom, since none of these has occurred, at the apocalyptic level, in nearly 2000 years. And no matter how you slice it, 2000 years is not “shortly”. Therefore, whatever the “revelation” is, we can be certain it has already been with us a very long time.

The Greek word “apokalupsis” translated into English becomes “revelation”, which actually means to “uncover that which was hidden”. Put another way, it means to shine light on a mystery. In a sense, God is saying that what was previously unknowable can now be known. This is why God entrusts the “revelation” to none but Christ alone, so His servants may receive it from Him directly, without the clutter and distortion of human interpretation.

…to show unto His servants…

If we examine the phrase “His servants” we find there are only two possible candidates for this title. Either it speaks of all the servants of God throughout New Testament history, or it refers only to the disciples who followed Him during His 3 ½ years of earthly ministry. For the reasons already mentioned, I don’t believe “His servants” refers to believers throughout church history. Jesus was given the revelation to show “His servants things which must shortly come to pass”, meaning things that have not yet come to pass but will very soon. If this was referring to you and me, the word “shortly” would be totally out of context.

That leaves us with one option: “His servants” speaks of those disciples still alive during the earthly ministry of Christ. This is the best interpretation of the phrase since only the disciples would be able to receive any revelation that must “shortly” come to pass. Therefore, the revelation God gave to Christ was to be given to His disciples during the 3 ½ year period Christ walked on the earth.

So, what was this revelation of Jesus Christ to His disciples?

And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
(Mat 13:10-11)

Jesus came with a revelation from the Father for His chosen disciples. He called this revelation the “mysteries of the Kingdom” and He declared it to be for “His servants” only.

For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
(Mat 13:17)

The Kingdom was both the Lord’s message and His mandate. He declared that the end of the world would not come until the good news about the Kingdom was heard in every country. He established, through countless parables, all the characteristics of the Kingdom, how it would both look and function on the earth. He revealed its gates (salvation by grace through faith) and its source of power (the Word and the Spirit of God).

This was the true revelation of Jesus Christ to His servants the disciples. A revelation of a long promised Kingdom that would begin mere days after Christ’s ascension back to the Father (“shortly”), when the Holy Spirit of God would come down to make His home with the bride of Christ, on the day of Pentecost.

Therefore, the KINGDOM is the revelation of Jesus Christ. It was given 2000 years ago, yet is still a mystery to much of the world, including many in the church today. It is the commandment of all who can “hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches” to understand and make known this gospel of the Kingdom to the ends of the earth.

… and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
(Rev 1:1)

The key word here is “signified”. It’s the Greek word “semaino” which means “to mark or indicate symbolically”. An angel was sent to John to “signify” the revelation of Christ, or, to put it another way, to symbolize the revelation of the Kingdom. But why symbolize it? Why not simply lay it out plainly so people could understand it?

To understand the answer, we need to first understand the revelation itself…

Two Dimensional Prayer Authority

Lately I’ve been hearing from the Lord about praying in 2 dimensions. He showed me that nothing 1 dimensional can be seen, let alone acted upon effectively. Even the tiniest pencil dot on a piece of paper exists in two dimensions when viewed through a magnifying lens.

The 2 dimensions the Lord is referring to are the temporal and the spiritual. God has granted every child of Adam a degree of temporal authority. He did this the moment He decreed that Adam would have “dominion” over all the physical earth. Spiritual authority, however, has always remained with God Himself.

For God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (Joh 4:24)

When God became a man in Christ, He reclaimed two dimensional authority for Himself.

Then Jesus came near and said to them, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. (Mat 28:18)


Now, because His Holy Spirit (spiritual authority) lives in me, a child of Adam (temporal authority), I also possess this 2 dimensional authority.

But possessing is not the same as manifesting. If my prayers evidence my grasp of temporal authority in that I “speak to the mountain” but display ignorance of my spiritual authority to know and understand “why” the mountain is present in the first place, I may well be moving one mountain, only to have a bigger one take it’s place.

Likewise, if I understand the spiritual “why” of my circumstance, but fail to exercise my temporal authority to proclaim Christ’s victory over it, I have left the temporal dimension of my authority unused, resulting in half the results I should be seeing and bearing witness to.

God is all about balance. Therefore, He often, if not always, presents things in twos – Israel and the Church, grace and truth, king and priest, Word and Spirit, Adam and Christ etc. It shouldn’t be surprising, then, that satan’s preoccupation in my life is getting me to tip the scales to one side or the other. If he can get my prayer life out of balance, he knows my 1 dimensional prayers will remain largely ineffective as a weapon against his agenda for me.

However, if I’m able to achieve and maintain this Godly balance of Kingdom authority in my prayers and pursuits, the scripture teaches…

The LORD your God goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.' (Deu 20:4)


In both dimensions.

The Fruit of My Lips

No man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who are made in God's likeness.

God spoke all of creation into existence. I am His offspring and, the scripture teaches, I have the same creative or destructive power in my words.

Every word begins as a thought. The thought produces the word and the word produces the authority either for blessing or cursing. Angels, both good and evil, act on the authority of these words. The commandment given to all angels, both good and evil, is the same -- maximize the effectiveness, reach, and impact of the word spoken.

If the word spoken in authority is a blessing, the angels of Heaven are immediately empowered by this word to maximize the impact of the blessing. This may include preparing the soil of the heart of the person being blessed so they may receive the seed blessing and produce much fruit. This can take time if the soil is fallow ground, which is why the scriptures instruct us to “wait on the Lord”. It is not the Lord we are waiting on, but ourselves to become fertile ground for the blessing.

However, the same is true when the word spoken is a curse. The demons of hell are immediately empowered by this word to maximize the impact of the curse. Sometimes this will happen immediately with some tragic event, often it is just the first toe-hold for the enemy to begin the process of maximizing the destructive impact of the curse both on the one cursed as well as others who will ultimately be caught in its expanding web of influence.

I’m reminded of the example of a church in the mid-west. The congregation had long struggled with the concept that Christ’s work of healing is a finished work, that all they had to do was receive it. They were just beginning to accept the idea and healings were taking place at every service. Then one of their own, a 17 year old boy, was in an accident on his motorbike. The entire congregation prayed over him and believed for his recovery. The boy, nevertheless, died.

This tragedy severely shook the faith of the church. The pastor was inundated with questions as to how such a thing could happen if it were really true that Christ’s work of healing was for everyone who believed. The pastor had no good answer for them. He decided to go and comfort the family as best he could. While speaking with the boy’s mother he learned that she and her son had a fight before he left. She was very angry at him and, as he was walking out the door, she said “Don’t ever come back here. I never want to see your face again”. When the pastor heard this, he asked if she had repented of saying this. She had not.

As painful as this example is, I believe it drives home the point. Satan will stand on the word spoken in authority, and he has the law on his side in doing so.

Likewise, all of Heaven will stand behind the word spoken, when that word is in agreement with the word of God and His Spirit.

From the fruit of his mouth a man's stomach is filled; he is sustained with the product of his lips. (Pro 18:20)

Life and death are in the power of the tongue, and those who desire it will eat its fruit. (Pro 18:21)

Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things should not be this way. (Jas 3:8-10)

How Can I Know My Destiny?

These serve as a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was warned when he was about to complete the tabernacle. For He said, Be careful that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown to you on the mountain. (Heb 8:5)

There were three items contained in the Ark of God’s Covenant: the staff of Aaron, the tablets of the law, and the golden jar of manna. The STAFF represents CALLING. Aaron’s staff budded with almond blossoms as a sign to all of Israel that the Aaronic line was called of God to serve as the Old Testament priesthood.

The tablets of the LAW speak of SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY. All things in Heaven and Hell are governed by God’s Holy Law. Even satan, himself, must obey it and may act as destroyer only where the law has been violated.

…the curse without cause shall not come. (Pro 26:2)

The MANNA speaks of WISDOM. Unlike ordinary manna which was available to all, this Holy manna was hidden in a golden vessel, symbolic of the precious value of God’s special wisdom and counsel to his children.

Each of these amazing gifts awaits the child of God who enters by the true gate with a hungry heart and a thirsty spirit. When I approach God in this way to know the destiny He has reserved exclusively for me, I will receive my CALLING to it, the AUTHORITY to walk boldly in it, and the WISDOM to advance and protect it until my purpose is fully realized in the glory of Christ on earth.

There are no shortcuts and God is not obligated to a single one of His promises if we do not come according to His established pattern, meaning I appear daily before His altar of confession, to wash in His laver of repentance, eat the showbread of His Word, be enlightened by the candlestick of His rhema, and commune with Him in prayer.

Then, and only then, am I ready to enter the Holy of Holies and receive the promise of my destiny in His CALLING, AUTHORITY, and WISDOM.

And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he hears us: (1Jn 5:14)



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The Wife of Christ

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. (Gen 1:27)

Most women have been gifted to multiply. They can to turn a seed into a child, a pile of groceries into a feast. This is not a natural function of men. Give most men a seed or some groceries and, not only will they not multiply it, you’ll be lucky to find the wrapper it came in.

For this reason, among others, the church was never meant to have a male mentality. She is to be female in every respect, the dutiful, Proverbs 31 wife to the King of Kings. Whenever she forgets this and starts acting like a man, the entire world suffers the loss, because men, by their very nature, are consumers. Left unchecked, they would eat both the seed and the groceries and come back for more.

This is precisely what is happening in the main stream church today. Most mega-churches are the result of hording seed rather than scattering it, raising fruit only to consume it as their own. Yes, there are outreaches and missions resulting from these churches, but even this, in many cases, functions only to expand the borders of the individual church or ministry, not the Kingdom of Heaven. This evidences a decidedly male perspective that is laying waste to the true purpose of the Bride.

For the husband is head of the wife as also Christ is head of the church…. (Eph 5:23)

When the church begins to see Christ as the sole provider of both seed and groceries, and the entire world as His household, then she can enter into her true role as wife by focusing her energies and resources on turning the seed (Word and Spirit of God) into true sons and daughters, and the groceries (gifts and provisions of God) into an abundant feast for the whole household of Christ on earth.

By operating in the male capacity, the church is, for all intents and purposes, committing spiritual homosexuality, men with men, rather than Christ with His Bride. I believe this is why, throughout human history, the downfall of a kingdom is nearly always preceded by a rise in popularity of this abominable sin.

But what occurs in the natural only evidences what’s already occurring in the spirit.


revealingrevelation.blogspot.com

Birthing the Kingdom

The first coming of Christ was all about the inception of the Kingdom. The life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Christ, as well as His sending of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, were all focused on sowing the seed (gospel) for the, yet future, Kingdom of Heaven on earth.

The second coming of Christ will be all about the reception of the Kingdom.

Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. (1Co 15:24)

On that day, the seed will have produced the long awaited fruit and Christ will present it as His gift to the Father. But, before that can happen, there must be a birthing of the Kingdom from the womb of the church.

Then another sign appeared in heaven: There was a great fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven crowns. (Rev 12:3)

HEADS in scripture refer to PRINCIALITIES, in this case, the territorial authorities of satan’s kingdom operating as one body. HORNS speak of POWER. And CROWNS symbolize the HEAVENLY KINGDOM AUTHORITY satan has usurped from the church.

…And the dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she did give birth he might devour her child.
(Rev 12:4)

The WOMAN is the CHURCH. She is weak and defenseless, but it is not the woman the dragon wants. It is the CHILD (Kingdom) in her womb that satan is after.

But she gave birth to a son--a male child who will shepherd all nations with an iron scepter--and her child was caught up to God and to His throne. (Rev 12:5)

The Kingdom is rescued from satan and given the throne (sovereign authority) of Heaven. At that time, like Israel in the land of Goshen, the Kingdom will function as a witness to the world of God’s faithfulness and power while remaining insulated from the Lord’s indignation and wrath which will come against satan and all those who serve him.

And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads. On his horns were ten crowns, and on his heads were blasphemous names. (Rev 13:1)

Notice that, just one chapter later, the crowns are no longer on the heads of the beast. This speaks a powerful truth, that what the church has surrendered in her day by choosing to follow the ways of man rather the Spirit of God, the Kingdom (male child born of her womb) will regain on the very day of its birthing.

For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly awaits the revelation of the sons of God. (Rom 8:19)

How Do You Pray?

1. If the object of your prayer is your own healing do you…

(A) Ask God to heal you?
(B) Rebuke satan for stealing your health?
(C) Declare that by the wounds of Christ you are healed?
(D) Both A & B?

2. If the object of your prayer is your own financial provision do you…

(A) Ask God to bless you financially?
(B) Rebuke satan for stealing your rightful wealth?
(C) Declare that by the promise of God you've been granted the wealth of Heaven?
(D) Both A & B?

3. If the object of your prayer is a need for wisdom do you…

(A) Ask God to grant you wisdom?
(B) Rebuke satan for denying your wisdom?
(C) Declare that you have the mind of Christ and know all things?
(D) Both A & B?

The answer to all three above, and any other similar question on the subject, will always be (C). Asking God for what He’s already provided under the new covenant (healing, prosperity, wisdom etc.) is a wasted effort at best, and destructive at worst.

Rebuking satan for withholding or denying a blessing that is yours by divine promise is equally impotent and often results in a life of meaningless “spiritual warfare” that is neither spiritual or warfare. Combining these two ineffectual methods (A & B) only serves to double the futility.

God spoke the promises and what He has spoken cannot be unspoken, nor can it be broken. By making this our prayer stance we become unmovable and unshakable because we are declaring, in full Kingdom authority, the word and promise of God.