Let the Fire Fall

Abandonment

2008-03-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

Sparkling and beautiful, this Kingdom of ours that dwell in the soul that cries out to the Lord. Beautiful and lovely is the King the Father who dwells and reigns over all His Kingdom, for His hand is never too short to reach and help those in need. For He is the all and everything and in Him we find our strength to carry on and to become something more. Yet in the throes of our wildest imagination and in our most tainted of tormented moments, there where the darkness churns, there we can find ourselves so alone and desolate. Yet this state of alone that we feel, drifting from time, is but the state of our choice and the enactment of our conscious will. Yet there in that darkness and there where silence is thick like oil, it is in that moment that abandonment truly thrives and this is where abandonment comes alive. For when we have nothing left to give and nothing left to fight with or even fight for, when we are desolate and weak, surely this is the time to confess and realize our strength comes not from us. When we hold such lofty thoughts of pride and arrogance, when we hold such high hopes of enlightenment and achievement, then the discomfort and weariness will find its way to our heart and the darkness will leave as in a smoldering heap of bereavement. But surely, what is needed is abandonment unto the Lord, so that His light might touch our hearts and truth might cleanse our mind. Abandonment is surely that lonely path of willfully making a decision that to be reliant on own intellect and our own endeavors is but a road to a rusty gate that leads only to little gain. True empowerment and true gain is found at the fountain where we drink from the cup of shedding our ambitions and shedding our own self, so that the water from that fountain may be life-giving and refreshing. To drink from such a fountain is to cast our eyes upon the cross, towards heaven, towards that glorious throne and to be believed, yes to truly yearn, for that abandonment. When we abandon, we find that the loneliness and we find that the terrors of the night is but an illusion caused by doubt and discomfort. In this world there is but many vanities and many desires. In this world there is but many lost souls and lost tendrils of dreams, yet the greatest dream and the greatest of ambition awaits us there at the gate of the cross. Here we carry the cross, here we deem ourselves not according to the desires of this world but according to the grace of the Father. And we carry that cross and we drink from the fountain, while in our spirit and soul we allow for abandonment to settle like a mature wine. In those hours of light and in those eras of brilliant sunshine, we begin to see and understand that abandonment is not loneliness, that darkness is not permanent and to lose is to gain. To gain the Lord unto us must be our cry and our hope when we arise in the morning and when we sleep at night. To be lost in Him is the true path of being found. To be abandoned unto Him is he true path of having a companion. Abandonment is not the path of the weary traveler that seeks but a brief respite from the drain of the day. Neither is it the involuntarily surrendering of the functions of the being. It is the enactment of finally surrendering to the clarity that without Him, man will find himself at a point of being lost in the marshes of this world without a hope of being found. Abandonment leads us to that point where our hopes and dreams and ambitions collide like a new born star, flaring in the night sky, until the collusion of power brings forth new life. Abandonment is birth and life, for in our hearts it causes a stir and a cry like that of a new born baby. It causes us to cry and to sing, even though our flesh might rebel and the forces of this world might be sharpening their spears to mutilate and kill. Unto Him, the glorious one, in Him we find our fountain of life and our fountain of hope. Abandonment strengthens the fortitude of the inner chambers of the self to be one with the Creator, stirring us to reach for higher highs and to stretch our legs to reach higher plateaus. So is abandonment. It is that hand that carries us over mountains and over deep valleys, bringing forth strength and might in our sinews and our muscles that we yet had not yet believed. To glory in His presence and to glory in His power leads us deeper and higher in His glory. Our burdens is but a heavy cloak and the burdens of this world is the vice grip that chokes us. It is that force and that power that blinds us, leaving us bruised and scarred when our hopes and dreams no longer makes sense. It is only when we surrender unto His glorious will and His glorious might that we reach beyond the pit of chaos and despair. Abandonment is that blood that runs in our veins, rich and pure, giving us the life to break the shackles or the burdens of this life.

At the fountain of the Lord we shall drink and while the serpent may crawl around our feet and the cries of the wicked may leave our blood cold, steadfast we are called to stand. For when we stand steadfast and true, hopeful for the new day, that the Spirit of the Ancient of Days whispers of His coming. Shall we not stand, yet even though the serpent entices and lures us away from the bark of the living tree? Shall we not stand and be abandoned even though the gold and the glitter on the mountains of vanity and greed call for the self fulfilling needs of man to blossom? Abandonment is thus, leaving us not to the lure of the sirens and the glitter of gold, for in the inner chamber of our spirit we are drawn to Him. For this is abandonment, when the centre of our being is drawn like a rushing river and like a rushing wind to the centre of all creation and of the entire universe. To abandon the self and to drink from the fountain of hope and life brings forth such gold of purity and splendor. In that moment of sweet delight we are drawn by a heavy hand and by a heavy thirst to the centre of it all, as the flesh tends to flee and our soul turns its ears to the spirit. The sweetness of abandonment leaves us not at the rusty gate; neither does it leave us at the gate of misfortune and the desperation of a time of depravity. At the gate of abandonment we enter into a state of silent hope and reflection, casting our burdens upon Him and letting His hand hold us close. In this world of glittering insanity and empty vanity, it is in abandonment that our spirit and soul finds the soothing notes of the Lord’s voice. His voice brings that calmness and the hope. In Him we are birthed.

Abandonment is surely that glorious stillness that silences the maddening cry of the world to conform and to please. It is that sanity that brings us to the quiet waters and the green pastures, allowing us to come before the Lord on bended knees. True oneness with divinity is that touch of glory that we yean and desire. It is the breath of the angels and the soothing power of hope. It is abandonment where we reach higher in our quest for freedom, for as we cast our eyes upon heaven, our lips murmuring prayers of life and renewal, it is in that moment that chains and prisons around us come crashing down. To be one with the Lord draws us away from a world of confusion and demand, bringing us back to that centre of gratitude and hope. It is that sweet hope of revival and pleasure. It is in abandonment that hope arises and it is abandonment that faith soars. Oh sweet faith of glorious riches, drawing us to clarity of divine union and causing ancient fires to awaken our vision. Shall we then not give it all unto Him, unto our true companion, unto our true and great love, so that His sweet embrace might thrill us and bring us to be divine enlightenment and illumination? Just as the luminaries in the heaven lighten the way for man, so does the light of abandonment unto His care light our way towards His touch. Let us then be still and weak unto the point of surrender, resting in His care, for this surely leads us higher and leads us to the truth. Let us be still as His children and draw our life from Him. Oh Lord, embrace us so we may be one with you and be carried in your power.

Enemy at the Gate

2007-09-27T07:04:00.000-07:00

The following I was made to understand according to Rhema word of Lamentations 4:
The Bride of the Lord can spiritually be seen, understood and comprehended as a great city, even greater in scope and magnitude than Jerusalem. The city of God being the Bride is but the spiritual Jerusalem and can therefore in the spiritual eye be seen as a city - but not just a city but one that is fortified, one that is a fortress, one that is defended, barricaded and one that impossible to destroy. This is the city build by Jesus in three days. This is the city build by God and not by man. This must not be confused with an apostate image or representation of so much today that we deem to be the city of God or the spiritual Jerusalem. There is but one spiritual Bride and thus one spiritual city.
So, this I was made to understand and realise: At the time of Jesus and the time of the first disciples and apostles, this spiritual city to whom its only covenant was with its rightful king the Lord YHVH Himself, it was this city that grew and flourished. It grew in the Spirit and its people lived by the fear, love and faith in its Master and the ruler of the throne. Outside the walls for 300 years the Watchers (the forces of darkness), be it the earthly or heavenly bound demonic hosts, observed how to enter the city of the Lord. For this city boasts impressive walls and an impressive gate and impressive turrets. Watchmen of valor and fortitude (the apostle and prophets) stood watch on the walls, at the gate, in the city and in the hills for the movement of the enemy. Here in the city the sons and daughters of Zion walked with a golden anointing, full of the Lord and full of truth. The Watchers saw no entry into the city, yet in the night they waited, planning and scheming. Yet the spiritual Law was kept, the Covenant maintained, the House of the King attended and the truth kept all things dark outside the walls.
Then a day came in history when the enemy realised it cannot destroy the watchmen of the city. They cannot charge the walls and break down the gate. Force will not do. Deception was the strategy. So they chose to deceive the watchmen so that they will let the enemy into the gates. It was deception of skill of a most subtle and yet brutal way. It was the deception of 330AD. It was the deception of allowing paganism and Christianity to merge - the time of Constantine. Church and State merged. Church and the World merged. The lines faded. The watchmen of city fell for a disguised lie that looked like a truth. The Watchers never stormed the city - they were allowed in, legally and with permission. They were invited in, just as the Bride invites deception today for she knows not the truth anymore for the true watchmen have for too long been absent.
Once the enemy was inside the gate, the great deception began when the watchmen who so stood for right and wrong, who guarded all that was not from the Lord, was turned to believe lies and the deception. A 1000 years passed, and in that time the enemy settled in the city until the true watchmen disappeared and the elders no longer sat at the gates. The spiritual Law was discarded and the King was no longer feared and loved. But a time came when the Lord raised up watchmen again, like Martin Luther, who lifted their voices along the walls and in the city against the enemy within the gates. But these watchmen were gone again and the city fell into ruins.
So the deception continued … philosophers, scientists, humanists, theologians - men who arose in the church and men who deceived and lied. So the truth was even more blurred and the enemy now looked like friend.
Today, the spiritual Jerusalem is a city divided. Within its massive walls and vast boundaries, are thousands of factions, each following its own agenda and so many moving it great deception. Factions have built their own little kingdoms within the walls, preferring their own rules and regulations. The true watchmen have longed been quite, for so many are blind to see the enemy within and many are mute to speak against the dangers. Loyalty has been sworn to the leaders of factions and no longer the king. The city is divided and no longer poses a threat. Division is rampant. The army is in disarray. There is a struggle for power yet the King is the one to whom all power belong!
Look around, where is the watchmen to cry against all things unholy and untruthful here in the city? Where are the guardians at the city gates? Where are they in the city? Have they all sold out, seeking what the world offers?
So, here in the city, once so strong in the fear of the Lord, is build altars to foreign gods, idolatry is rife, the spiritual law discarded and every kind of wickedness allowed through the front gates because there is no longer the watchmen to guard against the enemy. No longer is there discernment between right and wrong, between sin and righteousness, for the enemy has sowed its deception for 1700 years.
So, there has been famine. There has been spiritual famine because the flock of the city has not been fed with the true Word of the Lord. The King has for a long time not resided in the city. The spirit has for a long time not been allowed to move as it should. People are starving, spiritually, for they have been fed dirty water and poisonous food. Spiritual children have died, not attended or cared for by their spiritual mothers. Spiritual fathers have neglected their duty, seeking their fame and glory. There has been physical famine, for the deception within the hearts of men has not allowed for the true free flow of blessing. Yeah, this city so rich in beauty is now but a city of dust where its splendor has dimmed.
There has been the sword - the sword from outside yet the sword from the inside. There has been outside persecutions against the Bride but nothing like the sword wielded by the factions inside the city against her own people. There has been a sword and there have been spiritual and physical deaths. There have been the Crusades and Inquisitions and religious wars. There has been spiritual murder, spiritual abortions and spiritual theft of life. Within the city the blood of the righteous runs freely and the city is defiled. Thus is this city. Defiled and broken. Truth discarded and a stench in the nostrils of the Lord. The very guardians have defiled his city -to whom He has the responsibility to guard and to keep.
Yet the House of the Lord in the city has been abandoned - the stones of the temple lie in the street. Gold has been stolen from the temple to fund own kingdoms. His house lies ruined. More and more factions abound, so does iniquity. The city has continued to trade with the outside world, allowing freely the enemy to enter and to cause greater disunity and chaos. So many spiritual blind and deaf, never perceiving or comprehending. Oh spiritual Jerusalem, fornication and adultery with this world and the spirits of darkness have left yeah naked, cold and barren of life.
This was the state of Jerusalem according to Lamentation 4. This is now our state.
So the King is once again, in the last days, raising up the true watchmen, thus bringing back true apostles and prophets, for again the Law and the Covenant will be restored. The King will bring fire and the sword against everything in the city that is not from Him. For this is His city, His Bride so all things unholy and unrighteous will be driven from the gates. Fire will cleanse the streets. Fire will destroy altars. Th Sword will yield and bring every unholy ruler to its knees. Babylon was once that sword. But the King Himself is now that sword and fire. He demands holiness.
So we have to pray for watchmen, those who will fearlessly discern the enemy and its working and by the power of the Sprit destroy it. We need men of valor who will cleanse the city and atone for all its sin. We need women of virtue to lead many backs to the heart of the Lord and to atone for the social injustices and diseases. For His city will again be cleansed and those who seek not the King will be thrown outside. For His temple shall alone stand exalted in the city. For He alone will be worshipped.
Glory belongs to the King. He alone will bring back unity and His presence and His Spirit.
Lord, bring back elders with the law in their hearts back to the city gates. Let the prophets again stand on the walls and walk the city inside. May they be stationed in the hills. Lord, restore all, for you come for a Holy Bride.
The Lord cries where are my watchmen? They have fallen asleep, and have shrunk back in terror. Don again the armour, raise the banner of the king and let all that is not from the Lord flee before His might.
As I sought th Lord's guidance on the deafness and the blindness of the Bride, the Lord gave me Isaiah 55. For yeah, the Lord will do this - He will open the eyes and the ears of those who seek Him. For those who seek Him, there will be the blessing, the power, the healing and the strength. For those who seek Him there will be life and there will be hope and restoration. And just as there will be Highway of Holiness where only the clean wander and where there is safety, so there is the city of Holiness, where the Lord reigns. It is the city of Zion, a spiritual city of purity and strength where at the coming of the Lord no thing defiled will be allowed to live in its midst. For understand, the entrance gate to the city is for the righteous and above all, for the King. For who is this King of glory who shall enter? He is the King, mighty and true. He is the Lord, graceful and powerful. For the gate shall again be kept holy and guarded and the highway to the gate shall be cleansed and be made holy.
And then the Lord gave me Isaiah 56, 57, 58 and 59. My dear warriors, read this in the Spirit and understand this to be the very word of the Lord for now and forever. For in these chapters He dealt with Israel's iniquity, its sin and here we find the Lord's approach to the righteous and to the covenant. All that we face now until the end lies in these chapters. For the Lord will no longer tolerate our iniquity and how we have opened the once holy gate t o the world of sin and paganism. Yes, there is for now a time of grace but that time comes to an end. Isaiah talks about true fasting and as I prayed the Lord again placed upon my heart the need for the people o consecrate a fast and to end their iniquity. But we find how Isaiah describes the true fasting which is ultimately the end of iniquity and the beginning of righteousness! But Isaiah 59 is the clear message that the Lord will raise up a Bride true to Him. He will do this. Yet we have a choice. To join Him or not.
For the Lord cries where are my watchmen? For those who have been given the understanding and vision to "see", these are the days of far grater discernment. Watchmen can no longer slumber for the night is upon us. If we slumber then the blood of the righteous rests on our hands.
For there is something that has been stirring in my spirit for some time that is frightfully to comprehend. The Lord said to Daniel in Daniel 9:24-27 that a time has been decreed for Israel to end her iniquity and to bring to end certain spiritual matters. In my spirit thus the Lord says this to the Bride: A time of ending of all things has been decreed. The Lord has given a certain time for the Bride to end her transgressions, her iniquity and her idolatry and adultery. There is a time and the clock is ticking. Now is the time of grace, just as Israel was given a chance of grace. There is yet so much defilement, yet the Lord is coming. The time is nearing. Watchmen, arise and ARISE FROM THOUGH SLUMBER!
I cannot reiterate enough the importance of the return to the covenant for there lies the truth and life and restoration. Shall I remind the Bride again that the antichrist or whatever power comes for the sole purpos of violating God's covenant and making a new covenant with man? Look around watchmen. Within the Bride we have signed new covenant. In this world we sign new covenants. New allegiances and new treaties. Who do we serve and with whom is our only covenant? Man or God? The enemy within or the King of the city?
AS I finished writing this on Tuesday early evening, it was placed on my heart to again read Rick Joyner's The Call, something that I had not read it many a year. So I did it quick. And amazingly, everything the Lord is now showing and dealing with Rick wrote in his book some nine years ago. Rick saw this city I have described but the completed city! He saw the army of the Lord yet to be rebuild, and this many of us have seen. He has seen the completed Bride, which we all so yearn. The Lord is speaking about the same things over and over: He is raising up the Gideon army; He is going to get this broken city right and He is preparing His bride. And those who wish to be part of this process will walk in awesome power and anointing like never before. Yet we have to walk in love, true humility and fear of the Lord.
We have to pray for the Spirit's conviction to get the Bride, the army and the city ready.
What Rick also wrote is so true: the master builders of the city are the generals of the army to be restored. We need true leaders and true women and men of faith. We need to build in wisdom and love.
And then the Lord took me to Jonah and his ministry. Such men God will again raise up who preaches and there is repentance. But look: When he preached in the great city of Nineveh a time was decreed for them to end their iniquity! And then they consecrated a fast! And they wept and mourned and repented!
Now, hear the word of the Lord: If He had so much compassion on a fallen city by sending one great man of faith, how much more will He not sent conviction and men of faith to bring His Bride to a point of repentance! For indeed, this is His Bride that He loves so the grace and mercy is now here. The Lord wanted to save hundreds of thousands in Nineveh. How much more doesn’t He want to save as the Bride?
Indeed, the enemy knows the Lord as the Lord of Hosts and the Bride will know Him so as well and soon. Yet now, now there is still the time that He calls to His Bride as the Lamb of Judah and the Prince of Peace and the Everlasting Counselor. He calls for His Bride to come home.

THE FINAL CHARGE

2007-06-05T06:34:00.001-07:00

I see more and more how the Lord is working - He is truly, and I mean this in the very strongest way, bringing His Bride out of the apostate church, out of Babylon, and into true unity of the Spirit.
Yet, there are those few who for now have to guide them, for as they come out, they are going to need direction and guidance like never before.
As I write this, the Lord places this on my heart: Just as in the World War I and II when the soldiers fought in the trenches, there came a time when the leading commander would order his men to go over the top for one final push. At this time the men would pile over the top of the trenches for the final charge as the bullets fly, mortars explode and (excuse my choice of words) all hell break loose. You see, THIS IS IT SAYS THE LORD - THE FINAL PUSH. THIS IS IT, THE FINAL CHARGE. And while bombs may explode and spiritual bullets fly, now is the time to go over the top and charge in the strength of His might. Israel is gathering her children - the lines have been drawn. All hell will break loose and there will times of confusion and times of chaos - but out of the darkness the Lord charges with His light. Out of His children the light must shine and with the double-edged sword in our mouth we will be victorious.
This we need to understand - as God calls His Bride OUT, then there is still a choice who wants to follow and who wants to stay. Who will make that decision and who will trust the Lord?
But this I know - His Bride is gathering, beyond walls, beyond religion, beyond doctrine - coming out for the true purpose of serving Him and only serving Him in Spirit and Truth! O glory to glory - the power and the truth of the Lord, says He, is so mighty and powerful - It breaks, it breaks and it tears and destroys everything exalted against Him.
So the Lord says can we need see and understand - THIS IS IT! Get ready says the Lord. Bear your arms. For the enemy awaits but the Lord says listen to His voice and His command and victory will be yours. Advance my children and be not afraid. Let your eyes be on me and be utterly devoted to ME!
We wait for unity of the church in terms of denomination and in terms of doctrine. O cries the Lord - can't we see He brings us into unity of Spirit and truth - HIS WAY - beyond borders, beyond time, space and dimension. Let us look around and realise it is already happening! The Bride is forming to form an army who seeks only HIM and the Truth and the Way and the Life! Can we feel it cries the Lord? It is coming ... powerful and strong. Gird your loins. Raise your shields. Over the top. For the enemy has been given into our hands - the Lord commands us to go and tell the people the truth - He has prepared the way. He has prepared the land. O glory and glory.
Feel it says the Lord. Let us look around. Let us see it in the eyes of the people. There is such a hunger and a such a thirst and such a need and such a reawakening - yet the Lord calls upon His commanders to step forward and to lead and to be strong!
Be strong cries the Lord for the darkness will not enfold you! Be strong says the Lord for the victory is His! He cries feed my sheep - feed them good and pure. Feed them life and living waters. Lead them home. Lead them strong.
The final push - yeah, it is here. Israel gathers. The Lord is moving. The Spirit is pouring. For this is the time - choose right. The Bride comes together - so mighty and loved. Yet the Lord calls for a Church who walks after His heart. David had the Lord on His heart day and night - yeah says the Lord, day and night, day and night - always on David's mind. Giants fell. So we will slay the giants one final time. So the darkness will resist, one final time. But the Lord is the Lord of Hosts.
The Lord brings me back to 2 Kings 11: 18 (again and again): It is about the king who made a covenant with the Lord - the devoted king's reaction was for along with the nation to go about the land and smash and destroy everything that stood against the Lord! In 2 Kings 23 Josiah did the same - he went about destroying and smashing every altar, every high place and everything that worshipped not the Lord. It was an intense deliberate action of destroying and destroying.
Are we hearing the Lord? Smash all things that serve as idols! Not just putting them aside, but smash them, destroy them, absolutely wipe them clean from the land. LET NOTHING STAND IN MY WAY SAYS THE LORD!!! NOTHING. My people He says, go forth and destroy every unholy stronghold and every idol, first in your life and then by the truth and by the Spirit set others free by your devotion unto Him. In Deteronomium 6 the Lord says love Him alone and He alone! Smash, says the Lord. Remove by force all that stands against me, first in one's own life.
Yet, after these two kings had smashed, others came afterwards and again raised altars to foreign gods. The Lord says be careful that once you have smashed in your life, do not erect the idols and false altars again. But as we stand against all things unholy, the Lord will honour and remember. Moses smashed the first commandments when the people served the Golden Calf. Unholy things cannot be allowed to stand - let us look deep into our hearts for the Lord is calling His Davids' and Moses' and all those who serve Him so diligently.
We can only do this in the Lord's wisdom, in His truth and in His love and in His Spirit. Only by His way! Yet, in Him, we must advance, go over the top and smash and destroy. Do we hear HIM? Every high thought against Him must be brought low. Everything that exalts against Him and His truth will be brought low. The Truth will set people free - ONLY HE WILL SET PEOPLE FREE. So, let us lead people to Him and Him alone - let us be strong and seek that the Bride comes out, pure and singing and rejoicing!
O yes, now is the time. Many have gathered in the Valley of Decision - so many need truth and guidance. Who shall lead them to the MASTER? Who shall lead them to the throne room? Who shall be part of HIS ARMY?
Who is this King of Glory! He is mighty and strong and He has come for His children.
So be strong and be blessed
For the Lord cries to be free in Him for then you will know freedom!

Cross and Crown

2007-06-05T06:21:00.001-07:00

The following continues to be a reminder to us to bolster our understanding and grasping of His ways. Let us keep in mind the Lord calls us to obedience, He calls us to keep His order, He calls us to worship Him as I Am and He calls us to seek Him daily to receive a fresh revelation of Him. If we seek Him, then He will go ahead of us to prepare a favourable path.
Of late, I have had this longing in my heart: Lord, let what we do in the temporary resound for eternity in the heavenly courts. Lord, let what I do be so that my name shall forever be on though lips.
How then have I pondered do we do this. How do we reach such a truth in our walk on earth? Since it doesn't matter if we do all the works yet can't walk like Jesus did and know Him truly, then works is not the answer. True works should always be the outflow of our walk with God. How then? Simply through what extend we have allowed the Father, Son and Holy Spirit to change us to become more like Him. It is only when we love like Him, walk like Him and like Jesus have a true and living relationship with the Father that would cause our names to resound. It is when we do this that we will in our existence glorify Him. For this reason our eyes are not set on the temporary, but the eternity, yet it is in the temporary where we need to make a statement that will resound forever.
It is only our character that proves if we are truly children of God, not our works. No matter what works we do, it can be without the character of Jesus and can easily fool and deceive. Preaching to millions, evangelising, baptising or whatever form of work unto God could have the appearance of Godliness yet it can be without true power or anointing. Sons and daughters are truly known by their fruits.
Character is the key to making an eternal difference. For only through character, implying the way we behave, the way we react, our attitude and so forth serves as the key to what extend we have submitted and allowed God to change us. None better of this is the illustration of the temptation of Jesus in the desert.
And here we take a pause for a second, for if we can grasp the following in Spirit, it will change a lot about our spiritual walk. It is the same if we can grasp the true extend of God's order and how we need to follow Him, it is the same when we can understand that if we truly live like Him then all authority in Heaven guides us.
In the desert, Jesus could have destroyed the devil with one quick word. Here was Jesus, face to face with a fallen angel. He could have said to the devil be gone and be bound. Have we ever thought how easy it could have been for Jesus to do this? He could have swept the devil aside, marched out of the wilderness full of glory, angels by His side. He could have picked up His crown, forced everybody to worship Him, crushed the Roman Empire, enforced His laws, sparing 2000 years of suffering. He could have made a massive spectacle and statement in the desert. He could have performed all kinds of wonders and miracles. All the grains of sand could have turned into bread and fish. Wine and water could have flowed out of the rocks in streams. Yet He didn't. He let the devil taunt Him for forty days then left.
He chose the crown and the cross.
The devil tempted Jesus with fame and glory. He tempted Him to make bread and be provided for without having to deal with the hunger and pain. He tempted Him to ask for His Father with divine protection without having to fear and to be insecure. He tempted Jesus with instant fame, wealth and riches. He tempted Jesus to a human without the added implications. He wanted Jesus to pick the crown without the cross. He wanted Jesus to make a triumphant statement that He is God. When Jesus chose not to submit to instant fame and glory, when he chose not to submit to instant glorification and quick answers, then Jesus ran the risk of losing appeal. Later on, He would risk loosing His disciples and a great following. Jesus chose not power, fame and glory on earth. He chose love and divine truth. He chose the cross, and for that His glory resound for eternity in heaven.
Why did the Father not allow for such quick action? God the Father throughout the Old Testament knew that by power and dominance you could have people who obey through law, yet truly a man's nature and character is only changed through love. Love responds to love. Wonders and signs and miracles builds not character. It only provides for a quick kind of faith. It is temporary and fleeting. It gets the blood running: that's all. Jesus chose to leave the dessert humble and pure, embarking on a three-year journey during which His character was on display to the world. He chose not to rule with a hammer, but with love. He chose to allow man's free will to be protected. The reason why Jesus has had such an impact is because the lost, the sick, the sinners and the rejected were drawn to Him because of His righteous character that represented the ideal nature of the Father. Because of His Holiness, because of His love and because He did not judge but stood for mercy and grace is why the lost found strength in Him.
He made an impact because He chose to die on the cross, choosing to suffer in love so that His character and His holy nature and His righteousness serves as an eternal example of how we should walk with God. Jesus embarked on a three-year character journey of righteousness. His contagious and infectious nature and character that spoke of purity and holiness and love affected the hearts and minds of those who sought Him, especially the sinners, the sick and the lost. His contagious nature affected a sick society.
Jesus was only interested in the invincible eternal Kingdom. He was not interested in the kingdoms of this world. He hardly gave any political advice. He didn’t slam the Roman Empire. His ways are the ways of the Father. His ways speak of those poor in Spirit, those righteous, those pure, those humble, those meek and those contrite in Spirit - in other words, those whose character reflects the ideal nature of the Lord.
Jesus did not place much emphasis on signs, wonders and miracles. It is not character or faith building. He rather wants us to walk like Him in character and nature. For that, a journey of struggles, a journey of decisions, a journey of choices and a journey of trial and tribulations exist. It is so in order for us to walk like Him in character. Quick fixes, quick solutions or a dominant signs from above was not the way of Jesus. A journey was involved of love, of drawing ever more closer in trust and faith to the divine King.
Three times Jesus was tempted to betray the cross by the devil: in the desert, in the garden and on the cross. When he faced Pontious Pilate, Jesus did not act with power and glory. He was tempted by the government of this world and by the people to quickly fix His problems. Jesus didn't. He chose love and the cross. He chose character and faith and trust above the circumstances and above the ridicule. He chose to complete he journey despite the persecutions. Jesus held onto His path.
As in the dessert when the devil wanted God to show His full power and betray the cross, so we want so many times God to rather show up as the dominant, powerful and all consuming fire. We want answers now, we want healing now, we want deliverance now, we want and we want and we want. We seek answers immediately, we seek signs and miracles, we want to seek the sick healed now and we to see Him move in enormous power. Jesus was tempted with this and in the dessert as in the Garden of Gethsemane, but God did not move.
We want the crown but not the cross. We want the shortcuts and the quick provisions and the quick solutions. Jesus didn’t offer a quick solution in the dessert. He rather showed that through the journey of character where we learn to love like Him, walk like Him and be like Him is where the truth lies to having a true relationship. Character determines how much we have allowed for the Spirit to be God in our lives. In the dessert God understood free will cannot be compromised and man's loyalty and obedience will not be brought through a display of power and brutal force. Man's obedience unto God has been brought by the shed blood of Jesus who chose to die on the cross as the Suffering Messiah so that we could be set free in righteousness.
Do we still serve today the Jesus who chose both the crown and the cross? Do we only want the cross? It seems man wants what the devil offered in the dessert. Man wants the miracle, mystery and authority. He wants to skip the trials, tribulations, suffering and everything that goes with being human. Man wants to skip the responsibility of taking responsibility for his actions. God's children don’t want the pain of being human. Man wants what the devil offered: provision of bread without the work, protection without the obedience and trust unto Him and man also wants the kingdom of this world by bowing to another master. Jesus chose the hard road and that drew people to Him and that pleased the Father.
Today, we want to serve a God who pours out all kinds of miracles, signs and wonders. Oh yeah, we want that crown, leave the cross. We want to serve the Jesus who is the mighty Teacher, but everything He did was a portrayal of the character of the Father. The entire Beatitude is a portrayal of the Father and the Son and the Spirit. It speaks of character. The ideals of the Beatitudes and all that Jesus spoke and showed cannot be reached upon a journey where we only seek God as the Lord of wonder and miracle. Such ideals we can strive for when we choose to walk the road that Jesus did, meaning taking that walk to Cavalry and resisting the temptations of the devil and this world. Quick solutions, easy answers, powerful displays of miracles lead to weak faith and even weaker character.
The Lords wants strong character and strong faith. Jesus showed us how. He did miracles, but many times He wanted no one to know about it. He may have healed the sick, but Jesus greatest purpose was the healing of the spirit and the soul. He reached out to the lost, the sick and the sinners because they had a different disease, namely rejection and that they were unloved and unwanted. Jesus restored love and acceptance unto them because of His character that was formed on his three-year journey. Jesus raised Lazarus unto the glory of God and display true power of death. Oh yes, the Lord still heals today divinely, but God seeks above all else the true healing of spirit and soul. Our greatest miracle is salvation. Love is God's greatest weapon on earth.
A man is truly tested by his character. We want those quick answers and we want God to show up in fire and fury, but God wants sons and daughters who have sought Him earnestly, who held unto Him in truth and faith during all seasons, who have chosen both the crown and the cross, who have chosen character above wonderful works, who have chosen to resist the temptations of the devil and rather obeyed the Lord.
Jesus chose twelve disciples of character. He chose not the rich, the powerful, the politicians or the even the religious. He chose mere who were poor in Spirit, hungry for truth and righteousness.
It amazes me the backdrop to Jesus giving His Sermon on the Mount. Here was Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, having beaten the devil at his own game, having survived the dessert for 40 days, to truly begin His ministry among the people. The people on the other hand were expecting a Messiah who would tell them to be strong and defeat the Romans. They expected encouragement and a sound Winston Churchill speak to be brave, to be powerful, to be strong, never to give up and to keep on fighting. Jesus was faced with such a crowd at the beginning of His ministry. How easy it would have been for Jesus to stand on the Mount in a display of glory. He could have sealed the allegiance there and then. What Jesus told them must have astounded them. He gave them a sermon exactly the opposite to what they wanted to hear! He told them to love their enemy, He told them to feel blessed when persecuted, to love, to be holy, to be meek, kind, gentle, pure of heart and poor in Spirit. Jesus risked loosing a whole lot of supporters because He didn't put on a performance, didn't seek their approval to what he said or did, didn’t seek to appease the religious authorities and neither was He there to destroy any earthly Kingdom. He stood on the Mount to advance the eternal Kingdom and laid the principal of His constitution that focuses on character and choosing both the crown and the cross.
Jesus took on the religious authorities, not Rome. He took that which corrupts character and obedience unto the Father unto the cross. His focus was not for glory on earth or fame or wealth. He was focussed on the Father's will.
What do wee seek? Do we advance the Kingdom or do we advance ourselves in the failing kingdoms of this world?
We need to abstain from evil, but not abstain from doing good. We must love and be charitable, to the extend we love our enemies. We must be pure, humble and true unto Lord. We must cast aside sadness, doubt and anger, for these speak not of faith. We must be true oaks of righteousness. We must seek modesty, simplicity, charity, faith and truth.
Let us fear the Lord and also fear the work of evil, for it destroys the character of the virtuous. As a stone that is tossed up into the sky will never reach heaven, so is a man without a virtuous character, for he will not touch the heavens. A virtuous character opens the door to the throne room, invited, to speak to the Master.
Let us be those who stand for truth yet we draw the sinners so that they may the Father and His redemption by the Blood. Jesus was a friend of sinners, yet uncompromising in His virtue and holiness. The Church today repels the sinners and struggles in the mire of sin and unholiness. Where is the character?
So, let us then be pure of heart, let us be meek, peacemakers, righteous and poor in Spirit, for then the lost, sick and sinners will be attracted to us. Let us walk thus in true divine character, for the rewards are great in eternity, where our names will be spoken and what we do will indeed have an everlasting impact.

Reflection on our Walk

2007-06-05T06:18:00.000-07:00

Shalom saints of the most High, may we forever strive to live for Kadosh Hashem, the Sanctification of His Name
Maybe what I write here is only a need for my heart to pour out or maybe this is something that is true for many:
You see, I have danced and sang and clapped and stomped my feet in the Charismatic churches
I have spoken in tongues, I have seen people slain in the Spirit and I have seen tears of joy and laughs of freedom
I have run and flowed with the Pentecostals
I have been drunk in the Spirit, crawled and cried and laughed
I have swayed my sword among the Spiritual Warriors, waging war in the heavenlies, finding a demon in everything, finding a demon in nothing, raising my voice and shaking my fist at the devil's hordes
I have walked with the Reformists
I have heard the sermons of the Restorers
I have been silent like the Mystics, drawing inwardly
I have believed like the preachers of the Word and Faith movements
I have seen much, heard much, read much
Only now do I see even this can you leave you empty
You see, I have walked that path of seeking every revelation, every knowledge and every understanding
The Lord has granted me such, Insight, truth, understanding, strategy, wisdom and teachings
I have sought it all, studied it so deeply, delving deeper and deeper. It is all good.
Yet now I realise we can be filled with the greatest of knowledge, we could have talked in a million tongues, we could have seen thousands slain in the Spirit, we could have baptised so many, taught and preached to so many, we can be so Spiritual, so full of Revelation, but even all of this can mean nothing. It truly can leave us empty, never knowing the Lord. Indeed, without true love even thins can leave a bitter taste.
If we don’t walk like Jesus did, believe like He did, obeyed like He did, loved like He did, well, in the end it all means nothing. Jesus pleased the Father and He ate with sinners. He never put on a show, never performed and never tried to be something He was not. I think that today a flesh and blood Jesus would not find a place in our churches. My Jesus picked up a rugged cross on His back that was ripped, bloodied and bruised and broken. He died in anguish for our sins. My Jesus never sought fame, titles or to please - He sought for His Father to be glorified and for man to again have peace in the truth that He brought.
Yes, we can be so full of it, yet if we don’t have a living, real, true and deep relationship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, well then it all means nothing. We have become a generation so full of revelation and teaching yet we do not live in the reality of His presence. We sit for ages in churches, listen to thousands of sermons, becoming spiritual, yet never just living and abiding in His presence. We talk and talk yet we fail to carry the cross. We jump and up down, our tongues alive with Scripture and language, yet the heavenlies and the earth still awaits for the sons and daughter to reclaim their place.
It reminds me of a song by U2- Bono sang that he had held the hand of the devil and spoke in the tongues of angels, yet he still hadn't found what he was looking for. I believe we find many things when it comes to the spiritual - revelations, miracles, speaking in tongues, falling down in the Spirit, shaking the heavens with might and fury. Yet, do we truly find the Lord? Do we truly and really find Him? How much of what we hear is truly the Father? How much what we experience is really the Sprit? Imagination, escapism and emotionalism can play tricks on our minds. You see, if we find the Lord and truly have a relationship with Him, then we will change for the good. We will then live and talk and walk and breath like Jesus.
I guess what I'm trying to say is best illustrated by the life of Johnny Cash, the famous country singer. Here was a man who experienced a life of drugs and alcohol. As a boy he sang gospel, but when he started singing professionally, well he needed to sing his own brand of music to sell albums. He had an incredible career, in the end, he had also had an incredible and long lasting marriage. At the end of his life, a year or so prior to his death, he finally recorded his first and only gospel album.
On a day in the early part of the century, at the age of 70, he phoned his producer with this idea of making such an album. So the producer met Johnny in a cabin. Johnny was there, with his guitar. Without any thrills and show, he simply sang 20 or so songs from his mother's old hymnbook. He regards this as his greatest album that he ever made! He recorded the album by just humbly playing his guitar and singing from his heart the most beautiful old hymns that he learned as a boy. When he recorded, he never sang for anyone that day, but he sang for the Lord. The most amazing this is that Johnny always felt that during his entire life and career he was working towards this one goal: to make a album to glorify the Lord. I recommend this album by and by (My Mother's Hymn Book). It speaks of a man who had run with demons and angels, yet in the end he just came to the Lord as he is. In the end, it seems as if he realised that what it is all about is our relationship with God and that the Father just wants our love. This counts far more than our countless endeavors.
The Lord just wants us to walk with Him, as we are, no thrills, no show and no performance and know Him deeply. Johnny sang a song a long time ago called Walk the Line. It's like the Lord is saying just Walk the Line with Him, in His presence, abiding in Him. All the revelations, all the knowledge and all our spiritual days of soaking and dancing means nothing if we can't love like He does, if we can't live like He wants us to live and if we can't love Him above all else. Everything else is but a sideshow. What is real is when we walk with Him in love during the day and night. We need to come to Him in simplicity and adoration, just as we are, just like Johnny did with his guitar and a life that was full of ups and downs. From a heart that is real and true comes true adoration.
I was listening to this song Sunday morning, It sums a lot how I feel these days:
There's a harp in my heart, and only You can play it
There's a song in my broken soul, and only You can sing it
You're so unpredictable God, just like the rhythm, the rhythm of weeping
And my life is still so upside down, but you keep on coming, coming around
You keep on reaching, even though I let you down.
I hear those curfew bells are ringing, but I just can't stop my singing.
I've got to tell just one more person, never give up, keep on dreaming
Quieter than rain, He knows all your pain
Oh, I wish you would put those words in my mouth
To tell the world what you are really like
Not a dead God who lives in some building
But a Father of kindness, a Son of forgiveness, A Spirit who helps me
Yeah, that is who you are
There is a cry that I have had that I could love my brother
And not look at his race, his religion or his colour
You love those Presbyterians, you love the Buddhists and the prostitute,
You are not like us, you never change
You see through our sin and you love us anyway
And the cry of my heart: Jesus, let us be like you but Lord, show us who You are and not what man thinks You ought to be. Show us Lord so that we can walk the line.
So these days I grow silent. Oh, how I truly what to know the Lord. Everything else pales and grows faint in the light of His love and glory.

I AM

2006-11-02T15:01:00.000-08:00

I AM

I AM, says the Lord.
I AM the Lord who appeared to Moses and spoke to him to lead my people out of Egypt. I commanded their release for I AM. Their freedom was sure because I AM, not because of signs. I did not seek for them to worship me because I delivered them, or that I chose them, but because I AM.
I AM who I AM.
I WILL BE what I WILL BE.
I AM GOD: Sovereign, pure, mighty and ruler of all.
Shall I not be worshipped because I AM? Is there any other reason? Is there any other motivation? Why do you argue and grumble at me, trying to understand and trying to comprehend, while all the time I have come to my children and said I AM? Your God. I AM your father and you are My children.
Yet, you worship for what I do for you and what I can offer you. Yet, I AM. I AM GOD. My will be done and My way shall be done for I AM. I AM He who created the heavens and the earth. I AM He who ordains all.
You promise to serve if I do something yet I AM GOD. I shall be served and worshipped because I AM. Understand your vows and oaths are dry for you seek not Me but you seek to strengthen yourself through the provision of My hand.
Your words are many yet you not to obey Me. Obedience is what I require, for I AM the LORD who commands it.
Please me not in the hope of what you will gain but please me in spirit for I AM.
Again I say, I AM. Unchanging and true. Who can argue?
I choose Israel and led them out of Egypt because I AM GOD. Yet they worshipped not Me who is I AM but they sought a Lord who will do their will.
My people, I say worship me because I AM, then you will understand. In times of rain and sunshine, in time of war and peace, My will shall be done and My name shall be praised because I AM.
My people, you still seek not the Great I AM for you choose to ignore my Sovereignty and that I AM GOD.
Rest in me and worship me simply because I AM. Seek me as I AM in all seasons and then you will find My Kingdom.
I AM the Lord of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
My will shall be done. Always.
I AM GOD.

TRUST

2006-11-01T15:01:00.000-08:00

Saints, there are two key areas where we still fall short in our spiritual walk and growth.
One is faith and the other is trust. Faith in the Lord and trust in the Lord is terribly lacking.
Yet, aren’t they the same we might ponder. No.
Faith is to believe the Lord can do something.
Trust is to believe the Lord will do something.
We know the Lord can provide and heal and deliver and lead us on the right path. Do we however believe that the Lord will?
For the Lord says He is always by our side, all that He asks is for to trust in Him. We have no peace, for we do not trust. The Lord knows the path that we tread, He knows the pitfalls and He knows what destination we must reach and at what time we must do so. The Lord sees things that we can’t, knows things and hears things. He is the beginning and the end, yet we take His hand and trust Him to lead us over the rocky path and the good path.
We must not believe that He can but that He will.
Faith and trust. Yet we lack in both. We say we do, yet our daily lives testifies that we rarely trust in the Lord.
If we don’t trust, we walk in own effort. If we don’t trust, we walk in deception and rely on the strength of this world.
How much do we really trust Him? It is question of surrendering to His will. Do we really believe He will do what He says He will? Sure, we have faith in His abilities, yet do we trust Him with all that we are and all that we have?
Trust me, says the Lord and then you will be free and then you will have peace.
If we however stand still long enough in His presence and allow Him to reveal our lack of trust in Him, we will be shocked at our lack. Indeed, these days, even our faith runs aground for we will in the natural.
The Lord looks down and finds His children do not trust Him to lead them in the everlasting way of His hand.
Trust, says the Lord.
Just trust in Him.
Lay it all down. Everything. Rely never on your own strength and that man knows the true path.

VALLEY OF DECISION

2006-10-30T15:27:00.000-08:00

For in the Spirit…

I stood, in front of me was a vast stretch of land, a desert, with mountains on the left and right. I then had a glimpse of myself as I donned the brilliant armour of the Lord, specifically putting on the helmet and then picking up my sword and shield. Preparation and action; learning and doing; camping and marching – these are different seasons in all our lives.
I then understood that I stood on a battlefield, yet as I looked towards the horizon (north?) I saw no enemy, yet I knew the enemy was there, waiting in the distance, a great horde ready to tear and kill.
I was then asked to turn around and I then looked into the faces of many men and women; there was fear on their faces but also determination (a readiness) and doubt. It was the army of the Lord that He wants to go into battle; an army of a nameless and faceless generation willing to completely surrender for the Lord. There was no distinction of race, greed or culture – the Bride is one in the Blood.
I then looked to my then and right, for there stood a line of warriors, prepared to march and to move the battle line forward. Warriors ready to lead under the Lord’s instruction.
For this I understood: those making up the rear needed boldness, direction and courage to stand against the enemy. They needed truth, understanding and freedom.
I then looked up at the multitude of banners - scarlet, purple and blue. Upon it was the Hebrew letters for Yahweh. Upon the breastplate of the warriors were the same letters. It was the ancient name of the Lord that we have forgotten to speak.
The Lord then said I was standing on the soil of the Valley of Decision. We, meaning all nations, enter into this valley as individuals since the day Jesus rose from the grave.
It is the valley of spiritual victory or defeat, where many men have fallen and many will still fall. It was the valley where choices are made; victories won and so many battles lost.
It is the valley described in Joel 3, for here in this valley the Lord has throughout the ages brought all nations and all men and all women to tread the Valley floor. It was here, everyday, timeless and forever, where the battle takes place and it is here where the generation of the Lord fights and advances or falls as individuals. Here in the valley all men have to make a choice and a decision. The plumb line has been drawn – whom shall you serve?
But it was not just the place that was important but it was the time: we are already standing in the times of the latter rains with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit intensifying. The Lord says we are waiting for something to happen, but when Jesus died and rose, His children already stood in the beautiful rain of the Holy Spirit that keeps pouring more and more and it is in this valley where the Harvest takes place. As the battles intensify and the Spirit pours on all flesh, so the Great Harvest will intensify as the Lord’s eye searches for those who seek Him and those who don’t.
Such a time is now. Whom shall you serve?
The Holy Spirit moves powerfully as the Lord brings all things to past.
Thus, we have to understand: this is the time of the latter rain (outpouring of the Spirit). This is the time that the sickle will swing mightily as the Great Harvest unfolds and the angels roam the earth. This is the time where men will have to choose between Him and the world. This is the time and place to make a stand and fight, or fall and retreat.
Here in the Valley of Decision, the Lord has forever spiritually brought His people and everyone is given the opportunity to choose.
Oh how the Lord impressed upon me that we are waiting for the harvest, we are waiting for something new and great, we are waiting but we have forever been standing in the Latter Rain and in the greater glory: Here in the Valley we stand under the banner of the New Covenant and the New Dispensation. Yet we have failed repeatedly to walk in the victory of the power of the New Glory.
Yet, I cast my eyes to the distance and I ask the Lord where is the enemy: The Lord says the enemy is not one of flesh and blood, but it is the strongholds of the mind, it is in the spiritual, it is the invincible and it is eternal darkness. It is an enemy not restricted by time or space.
The enemy is strong for it is misunderstood, undiscerned, undetected and underestimated. The enemy lives on ignorance, fear and confusion, leading us further from the Lord and His truth.
The enemy lives and breaths in the mindset of man, in their religions, their traditions, their ways, their false theories, their false doctrines, their false sense of divinity, their false sense of reality and their false sense of righteousness. For the works of man has set him apart from God, for he listens to the whispers of a defeated fallen angel and not to God. (Ephesians 6, 2 Corinthians 10, 2 Corinthians 3, Romans 1, 1 Corinthians 1, Colossians 2)
So here in the valley many will fall, for the enemy will cause man to run after the temporary and the false and to see a life born out of vain imaginations, missing the true glory of the resurrected House of the Lord.
This I then understood: so many have fallen, so many will fall for so many remain spiritually blind and captivated by all that is false and that is not from the Lord.
If one fails to walk in the Spirit, then one will fail to walk in discernment and wisdom and truth in order to fight the good fight and to lead the captives to freedom.
The valley is also called the Valley of Jehosaphat – meaning the Lord judges. For this king of Israel choice to serve the Lord and destroy idolatry, he choice to appoint judges and to teach the Law of the Lord. Yet he also choice to engage in wrong alliances, favouring paganism and walking in the ways opposed to the Lord – this cost him dearly. This king also achieved victories in battle for He choice to trust in the Lord who is the true righteous judge.
And so, we must choose between right or wrong; truth or falseness; God or the world; His way or man’s way; His divinity or man’s divine illusions; the new dispensation or the old; the former house of the latter; the former rain or the latter; His reality or the world’s reality; His power or man’s created deception of power; the spiritual or the flesh; the eternal things or the temporal; righteousness or unrighteousness; life or death; Babylon or the Holy of Holies; freedom or captivity.
Now it the time to choose in order to march forward claiming spiritual land. The Lord is a righteous judge. The time has come that man’s indifference can’t be tolerated anymore for too many have fallen and too many will fall – the Lord seeks His army, just and true.
This is the valley.
This is the harvest.
People need the truth to break the strongholds of the mind and the strongholds in the spirit, soul and flesh.
The enemy wages war, yet we sleep.
Let us arise with banner in hand and walk in truth.
Let us don the armour and set the captives free.
Let us choose the Lord’s way for it our way that has enslaved us.

WHITE WASHED WALLS

2006-10-22T15:10:00.000-07:00

Let us ponder to severity of the following: To what extend are we these days speaking out of vain imaginations, building white washed walls, prophesying falsely, declaring false hope and false dreams? (Ezekial 13).
For the Lord says that those who do not obey Him and who does not speak in His Spirit builds a foundation and a structure that is weak and empty. How guilty are we of building white washed walls without any substance or building upon a foundation of sand? Surely, as it is written, the storms of the Lord and of life will come like the angles from the four corners of the earth and shatter these unstable walls.
How many white washed walls have not the church build or is currently is building? Do what extend is our construction sites cemented by vain imaginations, deceitful motives, self gain or chatter void of truth or spirit?
How many deeds and words and effort that are still birthed out of the flesh and vain imagination have erected these walls? Oh indeed the Kingdom is not one of words but one of power. When we speak the Lord’s truth and build His Kingdom we will build the true House of the Father.
For the Lord cries that He calls for a generation that will stand in the gap when those white washed walls come down. He calls for a generation to rebuild broken walls and become repairers of ancient ruins. Only when we move in the Spirit and in the Truth will we be able to build walls that are steady and sure. Only in obedience will we lay the right foundation.
But oh, we have build our white walls and have become white washed tombs like the Pharisees and the scribes (Matthew 23). We are all talk and full or ideas and full of nice words, but we keep building on sand and we keep on building a wall that will come down when the Lord’s hand moves against it.
For Israel the walls of Jerusalem was precious and holy, encircling the tabernacle of the Lord. The walls we are to build are the walls of the Kingdom that encloses His presence; it is thus the walls of the Kingdom that is within us; it is thus the House of the Lord.
Yet we build and build with plaster and cement and brick that will not stand the test of His fire. We exhaust ourselves for we are so clever. Vain imaginations. False prophecies. False workers. Deceptions - How it breaks down the walls of righteousness and truth! White washed walls looks so beautiful, but it so brittle, it is so weak and it is so unstable.
For it is those who look at these walls that cry peace, peace! For they cry everything is all right because the wall looks strong and mighty. Yet the Lord says it is those who cry peace, peace! are those who fail to see the truth and the light and the spirit of all lies. In the Lord’s eyes the walls are but brittle and nothing is fine. The walls will not stand and there is no peace for things aren’t right.
Yet we still cry peace, peace! for everything looks proper and the walls are nicely plastered and the tombs reflect the rays of the day. But in the eye of the Lord and in the Spirit of truth we must surely see beyond this world and reality and scream there is no peace for the walls will burn and collapse when the fire come!
Indeed, the fire and the wind of the Lord come to test all things; the wall will come down. For the Lord is the fire and the purifier and the refiner – only that which is noble and true will stand to testify of the Lord’s work.
Who will stand in the gap?
Who will rebuild and restorer?
The Lords calls a generation that will speak His Word and His truth and who will obey Him. Only then when the walls be rebuild to His glory.
No more lies.
No more deception.
No more false propechy.
Let us speak the word of God for then and only then will His will be done and He will be glorified.
God is Lord.
He is I AM.

First Light

2006-10-16T14:30:00.000-07:00

Tis the quiet hour before first light.
Tis the morning, tis my morning!
My vision searches yonder the horizon.
I see my love, tis the still of the night.
I close my eye and clearly see.
The path, the flight my love tis cometh to me.
To awaken the dawn, to stir my soul!
A ray of light, when will I see?
Tis the morning O my soul!
I hold my loves image, clasp it in my hand.
Light comes swiftly, to take this night.
I see this daybreak! I fall onto my knees
I cry out loudly Father take this cup from me.
I see my love my beautiful bride
Not my will but Thine be done
I behold my love wearing a robe
Spotless beauty, fairest love as not yet told.
It is worth the shame this day beholds.
My spirit leaves and lives through time.
Now my fairest love I see, worth more the world to me.
I look past the pain as dew drips from my hair
I pray Father let them see, O Father let them know.
Please let them within this incredible Love that burneth me.
I embrace this day with open hands.
A flaming torch cuts though this night!
Tis my betrayer behind that light.
Gethsemane’s ground now slips my hand.
I behold my love, that one face.
It is you! IT is YOU! IT IS YOU THAT I SEE.

Authored by Adonai Yeshua HaMashiach. Penned by Curt Wanda

SURRENDER

2006-10-12T17:20:00.000-07:00

What is there more to say about surrender than the wonderful lyrics written by Peter Coffee. What more is there to say about the hunger and thirst that we as children of the Lord should crave for His presence. May these words always echo in our spirits:

With every thought and every word
With every breath and all that I am
I want to love You as long as I live
For You are my God
I surrender, I surrender

With every step and every plan
And everything that's in my heart
I want to serve You as long as I live
For You are my King
I surrender, I surrender

All my life and all my needs
All my ways and all my deeds
I want to follow you everyday
For You are my Lord
I surrender, I surrender

WORSHIP

2006-10-11T21:30:00.000-07:00

Be not distressed says the Lord, be not discouraged, for the Lord knows His Bride - the Lord is calling them to worship and prayer. O the Bride, the Lord is calling for His children to worship.
We need to know worship – it is the act of prostrating oneself in utter abandonment, humility, consecration and obedience unto the Lord. It implies leaning towards the Lord, drawing closer to Him with all our strength and might. We need to again fall prostrate before Him in our daily lives, submitting to Him, yielding, yielding, and yielding - we need to bow and we need to search for Him.
From true worship flows all - from worship flows the hunger for the Lord, from worship flows obedience, submission, love, compassion and a heart aching for the lost and dying. The saints are called to worship, worship and worship - fall before Him, seek him, call Him, for He draws near to those who draw near to Him. In worship the Lord speaks, in worship the Lord moves in our Spirit and in worship the Lord reveals Himself.
In worship we lean towards Him and we are taught His principles, His laws, His ordinances, His statuettes, His constitution and His precepts
Worship has been distorted into a concept of noise, performance, showmanship and emotionalism. Big noise, big lights and big events catch not the attention of YHVH. A still humble heart, captivated by the beauty of the Father, is what stirs the heart of the Master. A heart moved by the lost and the broken and the hurting stirs the Father's heart. A heart seeking for man to know the beauty of salvation and the delivering power of truth stirs the Father's heart.
Only when the children return to the Father will they be taught how to worship in Spirit and Truth. True worship takes place before the Mercy Seat in the Holy of Holies. For there, in that place of worship, the true bond of Father and son grows strong and spirits join and become complete.
True worship is the inward journey where the Father dwells in our Spirit. True worship is when we abandon all, not only in the Holy of Holies, but also in life to worship Him. In that silence, one's spirit is embraced by His Spirit and quickened. Indeed, the flesh profits none.
Our spirit is moved then not by words or manifestation, but by His mere presence.
It is not moved by needs, wants or desires, but by simply adoration.
Let us draw closer and look upon His face.
Worship Him for He is God.

ROAD TO EMMAUS

2006-10-10T19:35:00.000-07:00

How many do not walk the Road to Emmaus yet never find the Lord? Reading Luke 24:13-32 it dawned that so many children walk the road of life, accompanied by the Lord Jesus, yet their eyes are blind to see Him and their hearts do not recognise our beloved Master.
Oh, how the Father cries that too many children walk with Him but do not know Him, walking to Emmaus, yet fail to walk in gladness and joy for they have not allowed the presence of the Lord to captivate their soul.
But here is the glory. Only when we allow the Lord Jesus into our hearts, as these men on the road to Emmaus allowed Jesus into their homes, will our eyes truly open, will our spirit burn with His Spirit and will our ears hear His words. Only when we fellowship with Him do the mystery and truth of Salvation feeds us like bread and water for the body.
It is only when we make room that we allow room for the Lord to teach us. His teaching opens our spiritual understanding and allows us to walk in spiritual reality.
It is only when we acknowledge His presence that we walk in the victory of the cross and the power of salvation.
But, so many walk the road to Emmaus and never do break bread with the Lord or allow Him to enter.
The Lord cries, for so many do not see Him, do not know Him and do not hear His voice. For too many He is still absent and the victory of the cross is made dull.
Shall we keeping walking, blind, or shall we allow Him into our lives? Listen, for His words are pure and rich and life giving.
Listen.
He aches to fellowship wit us, His children.

FAITH

2006-10-10T06:29:00.000-07:00

Faith has run dry because man has forgotten true worship, for true worship is the act of leaning towards, in trembling realisation and an ever deepening spiritual hunger, the throne of the Father. Faith has been shipwrecked because of our love of this world, because of our love of the natural and our love for the self. Our faith has become shallow and so has our spiritual walk in truth for the strength of our flesh shines so brightly and the arrogance of our fortitude weakens our humble resolve.
Indeed, the Bride has forgotten the voice of the Bridegroom. The Bride has forgotten what the footsteps of the Father sounds like. The Bride has lost the beauty of His splendour, the exhilaration of His breath and the strength of His heartbeat.
In our search for meaning, man has lamely crawled towards false lights of hope. Man has crawled away from the Cross, away from the true nature of serving the King, away from glorifying the Son and have lost the knowing of being completely and utterly captivated by the Spirit.
Is it any wonder why our faith is shipwrecked? We trust not in the Lord but in man, for we dwell in the natural and not the supernatural.
Words or actions cannot comprehend faith. Faith is Spirit. Faith is supernatural. Only when we behold Him in true worship, there where we are silent and abandoned to His will, will we know Him and know faith and know love and know truth.
Our faith will again rise when we seek true union with Him. Let not our trust be manifested in things that are build upon shifting sands of illusions and delusions.
Comprehending the Father will only take place when we reside in the Spirit.
Let faith arise oh Lord!

FIRE OF UNION

2006-10-09T18:20:00.000-07:00

As we draw closer to the Father in union, so we draw closer to the fire of His presence that burns in the Holy of Holies. In union the fire of the Lord shines through and in us, marking our path and casting light in darkness.
Just as a man that holds a lit candle when standing in darkness, just so does the Word and Presence of the Lord serve as an emanating light to illuminate our spirit and soul.
Yet, when such a flame dies, then we stand in darkness and do not know where to tread. When we walk in darkness, then we can't lead anybody else out of darkness.
Let us not be fooled or be deceived: such light will only shine when we constantly and with reverend fear draw closer to Him and seek to obey Him. Let us not be fooled to think that if we choose to do the things of the Lord and do the things of this world that the candle will remain lit. No, for the fire will die and then we will be stranded in darkness, ignorant and disorientated.
For the Lord asks this question: what extinguishes any fire? Lack of oxygen and heat kills the flame. The Lord is the oxygen and heat. If we fail to obey and submit, then we walk not in His light. For it is written that if we love the Lord then we will obey Him.
Unrighteousness kills the oxygen and the heat. Ezekiel 18 (v 24-29) makes it clear that we must not be so arrogant us to think we can walk in His light and also try to please this world. This is confirmed by Hebrews 6 (v4-7). We will fall in greater iniquity because of such arrogance and ignorance.
There is a true danger for those who walk in unrighteousness even though seeking union with God. This simply cannot be. This makes a mockery and a disgrace of the Lord's death on the cross since we abuse grace that has led us out of Egypt.
We must a stand: Either living for the Lord, completely and utterly, or choose the world.
The Lord's flame will only burn bright in us if we walk in righteousness. Such a path we can only follow if we seek true union with the Lord, but this requires obedience, submission and abandonment unto the cross and a willingness to die unto the self.
The Lord is calling His children to walk in true righteousness, in purity and love so that the flame can burn and the darkness driven back.
Too many flames have died or are dying because of the lack of oxygen or heat. Let us not be so arrogant. Let us be not so wise.
Let us return to Him in reverent fear.
Oh Lord, light the fire again.

GOD IS LORD

2006-10-06T11:20:00.000-07:00

Dear saints
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! O, how the Father is calling back His children and how the Father wants His children to glorify Him!
Last night in the Spirit I saw these words ablaze like fire engraved on a wall - BA RA NENE. And then the translation came: GOD IS LORD.
And then I understood what the Lord was saying as the words GOD IS LORD filled my spirit. Saints, we need to proclaim, proclaim and proclaim that GOD IS LORD in the valleys, from the hills, in the cities, by the shore and everywhere! It must be a proclamation that burns like fire.
We need to say boldly and loud:
GOD is Lord
Yahweh is Lord
He reigns, He reigns
Who can resist?
Who is like Him!
His will be done
For then I knew that such a proclamation that GOD IS LORD and that He is I AM should be engraved on our hearts and be engraved on our spirit and on our tongue and in everything that we do! The engraving of fire on the wall was the absolute indication that boldness needs to be awakened in us to proclaim whom God is. He is Lord and there is no other god that we shall serve. He is the same forever and He has not changed. He loves righteousness, justice and a pure and contrite heart.
Our whole lives should proclaim GOD IS LORD! We are not ashamed for He rules all!
This feeling is so strong it is like if we sent any e-mail or even an SMS then we should be printing in bold letters GOD IS LORD!
It should be like fire bursting from us.
O, imagine if many walls would proclaimed this message!!!
We are called to proclaim, proclaim and proclaim. The world has lost touch with the true King. Make way then the path for Him and open the gates for His glory. Let us be far bolder and be like a trumpet announcing HE IS ALWAYS LORD!
Shalom

WORD SETS US FREE

2006-10-06T02:38:00.000-07:00

Faith commands power; faith comes from the Word of God - those who fear the Lord lives in the truth and power of the Word.

You disregard and give up and ask to depart from the commandment of God and cling to the tradition of men, and He said to them, you have a fine way of rejecting (thus nullifying) the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition - thus you are nullifying and making void and of no effect (the authority) the Word of God through your tradition, which you in turn hang on - Mark 7

See to it that no one carries you as spoil or makes yourself captive by his so called philosophy ad intelligence and vain deceit, following human tradition (men's ideas of material; then that of the spiritual world) just crude notions following the rudimentary and elemental teachings of the universe and disregarding the teaching of Christ - Col 2:8

KINGDOM DWELLS IN HIS SAINTS

2006-10-05T19:30:00.000-07:00

God seeks a kingdom that dwells in the hearts of His children, not a kingdom solely that dwells in walls build by man.

God's kingdom is one of Spirit and Truth, build on the true riches of salvation, brought by the ransomed Blood of Jesus

Oh let the walls of our indifferences and our ways come down! We say the world must see the church, yet we are the kingdom of heaven on earth. Oh how the world only sees a secularized, materialistic, prideful and tainted picture of heaven - where are the judges? Let the kings lay down their crowns.

God seeks humble, pure in spirit crusaders, called to free the lost from the clutches of darkness through the Blood of Jesus. He seeks crusaders walking in love, truth and honesty, seeking no glory but only His will. Let the crusaders not walk in hate, intolerance and anger!

Let the glory come down. His presence brings you to your knees. It strips away all vanity and pride. It crushes all worth and arrogance.

Oh God, arise in our midst!

HOLY OF HOLIES

2006-10-05T17:05:00.000-07:00

In the Holy of Holies there is perfect union with Father and child. Truth dwells in the Holy of Holies. As we are in union with Lord, we are in union with the Word, who is Jesus, who is the Bread of Life (manna) and the Truth (Commandments) and who came to give us life through grace (mercy seat).
Union with the Lord leads to obedience and willingness unto His commandments and precepts. Such obedience comes not from duty or obligations, but because those who dwell in the Holy of Holies walk in the sweet surrendered union with the Father, His Spirit and Son.
In the Holy of Holies, our spirit calls unto deep and we flow in His Spirit.
Oh, why do we seek noise when the Holy of Holies is silent? Why do we need performance when the Lord seeks truth and honesty? The Lord is present in the silence. He is in the stillness of the spirit. He dwells in the realms where a contrite spirit stirs Him.
We behold Him as we draw towards Him in the Holy of Holies. There, in His loving embrace, He captivates our spirit as He drawns us closer to know truth in Spirit.
It is in the Holy of Holies twhere we taste that commanded moment of surrender and perfect union, producing a clarity that rises like the dawn and where revelation is birthed like creation.
If we live a life of true union with the Father, thus walking in the sweet ways of the Holy of Holies, then our strength will soar like an eagle and we will run and not grow faint and we wall walk and not grow weary.
Man's ambitions and ideals and self-love drives Him further away from true union. Indeed, the Lord dwells in the silence of surrender. He speaks in the silence. His power is in the silence. But not just any silence. It is the silence of the Holy of Holies where a man seeks His heart and is prepared to die in the self for His glory.
Behold Him and seek Him - nothing else.
Let us leave the ways of the world and enter into His glorious presence where His latter rain sustains us.
There, in the silence, we will know His voice and know what to say to this broken world.
Only in the silence of the Holy of Holies.
United.

TRUE FASTING

2006-09-13T18:45:00.000-07:00

Oh, how should the reality of Isaiah 58 not dawn on us that the true purpose of fasting is for us to draw closer in union with the Lord in order to seek His Kingdom and manifest His Kingdom on earth.
Fasting is not something inactive, but full of activity. It is not something of duty or obligation, but is a desire and hunger to seek first the Kingdom and the will of the Lord.
The Lord seeks union with His children. To dwell thus in the Holy of Holies serves the purpose for us to be brought closer to the Father so that we are His reflection.
To fast is to be active in the Spirit. The activity of fasting should not be to please the Lord out of hardship or duty but to draw closer to Him in love so that we see His Kingdom fill the hearts of man.
True fasting produces the true fruit and the true character of the Lord for the fruit ripens in blessed union.
True fasting refines and purifies, shifting us out of the comfortable levels of the flesh and into the strength of the Lord’s fire. Fasting takes us higher and deeper into the glory as the Spirit liberates us.
Let us be disciplined in such knowledge.

COMPLACENCY

2006-05-07T19:50:00.000-07:00

There is no such thing has cold: it only exit because of the absence of heat.

There is no such thing as darkness: it only exists because of the absence of light.

Therefore, there is only hate because of the absence of love and there is only evil because of the absence of good.

An ever-increasing coldness is prevalent in man. It is a coldness manifested in the emotional, psychological and physical realms. The coldness, fear and evil of this world reigns because we the saints have given it power because of our complacency, our division, our lack of truth and our inability to bring the light, warmth and love of the Father into the world.

As we move closer to the Lord and walk deeper in His Spirit, then His fire, His light, His love and His life will drive away darkness and set the captives free. Let us be reminded of Isaiah 61 for we have all been called to preach the gospel, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour and through His Spirit bring hope, praise, joy and gladness to those stricken and grieved by this world.

Shall we tarry in our complacency?

LIVING IN THE SUPERNATURAL

2005-09-05T19:15:00.000-07:00

Christianity is 100% supernatural - God possessing man. Idolatry is 100% natural, man possessing his god!

In the natural reason, logic and the senses bind us. Our vision is restricted, our reality altered and our faith weakened.

In the supernatural where faith dwells, we are free from the restrictions of reason, logic, rationalism and our circumstances for faith commands power! The Spirit of life who brings healing, deliverance and freedom dwells in the supernatural. The supernatural is not bound by the natural. God's ways are supernatural (divine).

Let us live in the supernatural, with our reality determined by God and our walk led by His Spirit! In the supernatural we are filled with His power, His glory and His love. Let us walk free!

ARISE SPIRIT

2005-08-18T21:30:00.000-07:00

Come Spirit and revive and restore the true and undemanding relationship of the generation of Jacob unto the faithful, real, alive God!

Spirit, let us arise, soar and climb above judgement, perceptions, wrong ideas and deceitful misunderstandings of the relationship generating God!

Be alive unto God so that His mind, Will and Spirit reaches out to the lost - bringing light into darkness.

God seeks the humble heart - the potential, the willingness, the essence and the hunger of those to walk in his righteousness.

We are the priest and kings on earth. We must know our place, His intention and we must come to rest. There is no need to impress and no need to prove anything. There is no need to justify when living in the Holy power of God. Let us then embrace our weaknesses and strengths. Let us be humble, poor, true, honest - we then allow the complete possession of God of our being!

Arise, arise, arise oh power of the Lord
Shine, shine, shine oh glory of the Lord
Rise, rise, rise oh love of the Lord
Freedom in truth and grace to the all saints!

Love

2005-08-13T20:40:00.000-07:00

Gods lead us to rule in deep seated governance so that we can serve in the most excellent way which is love - those who let their desires fall to the wayside will be filled to the greater degree of anointing and glory!

Freedom is to be controlled by nothing except the perfect and pleasing will of the Father. Freedom is to be controlled by love. Love sets us free.

ABANDONMENT

2005-07-10T22:10:00.000-07:00

Nothing can satisfy you on earth until your are firstly, primarily, foremost, completely, abundantly and utterly satisfied in the Lord. From there, all satisfaction and meaning flows.

The true way to surrender is death unto oneself – this calls for abandonment unto the cross so that we are purified, refined, renewed, restored and completely seeking only His presence. Surrender all to gain all.

Only in the death of the self does oneself one find fulfillment - this is however easier said than done - what does this really mean? Death implies a distinct break from the things that we perceive gives life - yet, this is where our logic fails. We must part from the things that we believe gives life so as to attain the things in death that truly gives life according to God.

Freedom is to be controlled by nothing except the perfect will of the Lord, yet, in our subconscious and in our free will, we harbour what we want to do except what the Lord desires. Death of the self is not easy, yet that is abandonment and that is carrying the cross. The desires of the self leads us to seek our own way instead of allowing God to free us from all things that keep us captive.

Those who seek the path to the throne room of the Father seek a life in Spirit; this is a life that is free and alive with divine activity. Such seekers are not lovers of themselves but silently endure the cross for the sake of true life.

We will never understand true life until we die - yet this is against our prideful nature and intense desires to be masters of our own universe. Let us let part from the self and put aside all that hinders our spiritual walk so that we may be free!

ARISE SPIRIT

2005-02-16T21:45:00.000-08:00

TRUE UNTO SELF

2004-04-12T17:40:00.000-07:00

The church has to be true unto God so that she can be true unto herself so that she can be true to the world.

Only through being true to God in authenticity and being real can we find the Sabbath rest unto ourselves as we allow ourselves through honesty to be sanctified unto the Lord by the regeneration power of the Spirit. Layers of lies, deceit, manipulation and abuse by evil that has taken hold of the world has to be brought down.

Fear of man (man pleasing man) lead to unjust conformity, manipulation and distortion of soul, spirit and body and the abuse of what you are in spirit. When we carve away the layers of denial, then only can we come to the Lord as we have been created.

Come to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, naked, poor, raw, as you are, without any pretense, performance or tradition. Come as you are natural - allow legalism and preconceived perception to be broken - then you will be free. Come to the God and be empowered in your self by the Spirit, blood and water. Only then can we enter into the Sabbath rest, resting from our own works, allowing the Bride to be true in Spirit, allowing her to set the world free in the might, glory and resurrection power of Yahweh!

Strip away, be clean, be real, layers must go, old man must go and conformity must go. Hear His voice!