Tag Archive for: angel

The Bride of Christ

“And one of the seven angels who had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, Come here, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife.” Revelation 21:9

 What is the deep desire of a father? To see his son married! The wedding of Jesus the only begotten son of God was in the mind of his Father from eternity. This awesome dad of Jesus is obsessed with the idea of getting his son married! He has been thinking about it over and over, this glorious wedding was rolling like a tape in his mind and imagination! The wedding planners and organizations of our days are countless and they do their best to arrange weddings according to each couple’s budget. But if there is one in the universe who really knows how to plan for a wedding it is the heavenly FATHER, he is the expert and there is none like him! Abraham sent his faithful servant to look for a bride to his son Isaac and made him swear not to return empty hands because he so longed to see his son married and he found him one, Rebekah! The other spiritual facet of this story points to the heavenly Father who sent his faithful Holy Spirit to search for a Bride for his son Jesus and he found him one, YOU! “The king's daughter is all glorious within; her clothing is trimmed with gold. She shall be brought to the king in clothing of needlework; the virgins, her companions after her, shall be brought to you. They shall be led with joy and gladness; they shall enter into the King's palace.” Psalms 45:13-15. Oh, how beautiful the bride of the lamb is (Song of Solomon 4:7), how beautiful and holy the perfecting of the saints that the Lord is doing in our hearts preparing us for the wedding!

 Read in Ezekiel 16: 7-14 God’s heart toward his wife, toward you, it will stir your heart with so much passion and love and will connect you to the heart beat of your heavenly groom: “I helped you to thrive like a plant in the field. You grew up and became a beautiful jewel. Your breasts became full, and your body hair grew, but you were still naked. And when I passed by again, I saw that you were old enough for love. So I wrapped my cloak around you to cover your nakedness and declared my marriage vows. I made a covenant with you, says the Sovereign LORD, and you became mine. “Then I bathed you and washed off your blood, and I rubbed fragrant oils into your skin. I gave you expensive clothing of fine linen and silk, beautifully embroidered, and sandals made of fine goatskin leather. I gave you lovely jewelry, bracelets, beautiful necklaces, a ring for your nose, earrings for your ears, and a lovely crown for your head. And so you were adorned with gold and silver. Your clothes were made of fine linen and were beautifully embroidered. You ate the finest foods—choice flour, honey, and olive oil—and became more beautiful than ever. You looked like a queen, and so you were! Your fame soon spread throughout the world because of your beauty. I dressed you in my splendor and perfected your beauty, says the Sovereign LORD.”

 Jesus loves his church in a way we can’t fathom, you can just foretaste a little bit of his extravagant love for you through the revealed word of God. Song of Solomon is such a concentrated love letter between Jesus and his church. The time is approaching, the wedding preparations are coming to an end, and the church is getting ready to be raptured after being captured by his love … Jesus is coming soon!

 P.S: Don’t be among the attendants, become his bride! Receive Jesus now in your heart!

The Devil

His name was Lucifer which means “Carrier of Light” before he became a fallen angel. He was created by God as an archangel anointed for worship & praise, he used to lead the citizens of heaven to worship God what a high privilege. But the very thing he was anointed and gifted with was tempted for! He decided one day to exalt himself to be worshiped as God. He was puffed up with pride and deceived by his own thoughts and he didn't know that if God designed you for something you will not delight in being and doing something else. He was immediately judged in the glory and was cast out of heaven with one third of his angels. In the glory he wanted to be worshiped as God but out of the glory he became darker and more proud and wanted God himself to worship him and this is what we discover when he tempted Jesus to bow down to him.

He is God’s adversary and opponent and he wants to mess with all of his plans and his creations and this is what we see when we look around us today. He is your enemy whether you know it or not and he hates you because you were made in the image and likeness of Jesus who defeated him for you on the cross and gave you back the authority and the victory over him. The scriptures clearly say that people are under the authority of the kingdom of darkness or the kingdom of light. If you gave your life to Jesus you are translated from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light and you are no more subject to the Devil but to Christ although he will stay your enemy but glory to God who made us his sons and his daughters and subjected our enemies to us because we have been given Christ’s authority. This word is not to glorify the Devil whatsoever but to expose him who likes to work in the dark and to open your eyes and redeem your time by shifting your blame on God who is for you to the Devil who is against you. You need to biblically fight the Devil who works behind the scenes to knock you down and prevent you to go on in your spiritual life to glorify Jesus. Be aware of him and his schemes but stay focused all the time on Jesus who is your redeemer, your victory, your protection, your wisdom, your glory and your head lifter. Jesus is wonderful and no one compares to his awesome greatness, glory and power. It’s so ridiculous to compare an ant to an elephant. God is God and the Devil is NOT! Halleluiah

Glory to God
Tony Francis

Mary, highly favored

Why did God Almighty choose Virgin Mary, the little girl from Nazareth, to be the mother of his only son Jesus Christ? What was in her that attracted him to perform great deeds in her life and to entrust her? The qualities that prepared Mary for greatness can be imparted to you also because God is no respecter of man.

Humility

In his salutation and throughout their conversation, Archangel Gabriel mentioned to Mary more than once that she is highly favored by God. Why was she highly favored by him? Maybe because she was so beautiful that God wanted to bless his son with a beautiful mom or maybe because she was the only virgin in her town? No, Mary caught the attention of heaven because she was a humble vessel for such a high calling & mandate. She was favored because she was humble “God opposes the proud but favors the humble.” James 4:6. Mary also confirms this by saying: “For He took notice of His lowly servant girl” Luke 1:48. Humility is obeying and serving God and saying yes to all of his will not a part of it no matter the high price of it “Mary responded, “I am the Lord's servant. May EVERYTHING you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.” Luke 1:38. Jesus Christ is the highest model of humility and in the light of his humility other humilities look like pride, Philippians 2:7-10.

Treasuring God’s Word

Another great quality that was attached to Mary is that she was serious about God’s word, promises & prophecies. You often read this about her: “Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.” Luke 2:19. In her Magnificat, Mary recites the promises of God about the promised Messiah & the plan of salvation, she knew it well and she was expecting it. Because she disciplined herself all her life on meditating on the word of God she became a vessel of the truth, a vessel of the promise. God looked at her from eternity and said: “Man, this girl loves my word; she really knows how to meditate on it until she can get pregnant with it and birth it. I will reward her now with the LIVING WORD, Jesus himself”.

Mary was a great woman of God but in all her greatness she always knew her place & her position and never exalted herself like Lucifer did to be an object of worship, Isaiah 14:14-15. What a grace! When the wise men came to the house, it is written that they bowed to baby Jesus only “They entered the house and saw the child with His mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped HIM.” Matthew 2:11. In her magnificat, Mary clearly called God her savior “and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” Luke 1:47. Calling God your savior means you need salvation! Being virgin doesn’t mean you are not a sinner, my sister was a virgin before she got married but she is a sinner who needs God’s salvation, can you see the difference? Jesus died for all humanity on the cross including his mother who was the first to receive her salvation at the feet of the cross. Do you want to be like Mary? Be the first one at the feet of the cross and receive your salvation.

Are you highly favored? I mean, are you humble & do you treasure God’s word in your heart? If yes, then get yourself ready for greatness!

Glory to God
Tony Francis

4 Keys to Hearing God’s Voice

By Mark and Patti Virkler

Christianity is unique among religions, for it alone offers a personal relationship with the Creator beginning here and now, and lasting throughout eternity. Jesus declared, “This is eternal life – that they may know God” (Jn. 17:2). Unfortunately, many in the Church miss the great blessing of fellowship with our Lord because we have lost the ability to recognize His voice within us. Though we have the promise that “My sheep hear my voice,” too many believers are starved for that intimate relationship that alone can satisfy the desire of their hearts. I was one of those sheep who was deaf to his Shepherd until the Lord revealed four very simple keys (found in Habakkuk 2:1, 2) that unlocked the treasure of His voice.

Key #1 – God’s voice in your heart often sounds like a flow of spontaneous thoughts.

Habakkuk knew the sound of God speaking to him (Hab. 2:2). Elijah described it as a still, small voice (I Kings 19:12). I had always listened for an inner audible voice, and God does speak that way at times. However, I have found that usually, God's voice comes as spontaneous thoughts, visions, feelings, or impressions.

For example, haven't you been driving down the road and had a thought come to you to pray for a certain person? Didn’t you believe it was God telling you to pray? What did God's voice sound like? Was it an audible voice, or was it a spontaneous thought that lit upon your mind?

Experience indicates that we perceive spirit-level communication as spontaneous thoughts, impressions and visions, and Scripture confirms this in many ways. For example, one definition of paga, a Hebrew word for intercession, is “a chance encounter or an accidental intersecting.” When God lays people on our hearts, He does it through paga, a chance-encounter thought “accidentally” intersecting our minds. Therefore, when you want to hear from God, tune to chance-encounter or spontaneous thoughts.

Key #2 – Become still so you can sense God’s flow of thoughts and emotions within.

Habakkuk said, “I will stand on my guard post…” (Hab. 2:1). Habakkuk knew that to hear God's quiet, inner, spontaneous thoughts, he had to first go to a quiet place and still his own thoughts and emotions. Psalm 46:10 encourages us to be still, and know that He is God. There is a deep inner knowing (spontaneous flow) in our spirits that each of us can experience when we quiet our flesh and our minds. If we are not still, we will sense only our own thoughts.

Loving God through a quiet worship song is one very effective way to become still. (Note II Kings 3:15.) After I worship and become silent within, I open myself for that spontaneous flow. If thoughts come of things I have forgotten to do, I write them down and dismiss them. If thoughts of guilt or unworthiness come, I repent thoroughly, receive the washing of the blood of the Lamb, putting on His robe of righteousness, seeing myself spotless before God (Is. 61:10; Col. 1:22).

To receive the pure word of God, it is very important that my heart be properly focused as I become still because my focus is the source of the intuitive flow. If I fix my eyes upon Jesus, the intuitive flow comes from Jesus. But if I fix my gaze upon some desire of my heart, the intuitive flow comes out of that desire. To have a pure flow I must become still and carefully fix my eyes upon Jesus. Again, quietly worshiping the King, and receiving out of the stillness that follows quite easily accomplishes this. 

Fix your gaze upon Jesus (Heb. 12:2), becoming quiet in His presence and sharing with Him what is on your heart. Spontaneous thoughts will begin to flow from the throne of God to you, and you will actually be conversing with the King of Kings!

Key #3 – As you pray, fix the eyes of your heart upon Jesus, seeing in the Spirit the dreams and visions of Almighty God.

Habakkuk said, “I will keep watch to see,” and God said, “Record the vision” (Hab. 2:1,2). Habakkuk was actually looking for vision as he prayed. He opened the eyes of his heart, and looked into the spirit world to see what God wanted to show him. This is an intriguing idea.

God has always spoken through dreams and visions, and He specifically said that they would come to those upon whom the Holy Spirit is poured out (Acts 2:1-4, 17).

I had never thought of opening the eyes of my heart and looking for vision. However, I have come to believe that this is exactly what God wants me to do. He gave me eyes in my heart to see in the spirit the vision and movement of Almighty God. There is an active spirit world all around us, full of angels, demons, the Holy Spirit, the omnipresent Father, and His omnipresent Son, Jesus. The only reasons for me not to see this reality are unbelief or lack of knowledge.

In order to see, we must look. Daniel saw a vision in his mind and said, “I was looking…I kept looking…I kept looking” (Dan. 7:2,9,13). As I pray, I look for Jesus, and I watch as He speaks to me, doing and saying the things that are on His heart. Many Christians will find that if they will only look, they will see, in the same way they receive spontaneous thoughts. Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us (Matt. 1:23). It is as simple as that. You can see Christ present with you because Christ is present with you. In fact, the vision may come so easily that you will be tempted to reject it, thinking that it is just you. But if you persist in recording these visions, your doubt will soon be overcome by faith as you recognize that the content of them could only be birthed in Almighty God.

Jesus demonstrated the ability of living out of constant contact with God, declaring that He did nothing on His own initiative, but only what He saw the Father doing, and heard the Father saying (Jn. 5:19,20,30). What an incredible way to live!

Is it possible for you to live out of divine initiative as Jesus did? Yes! Fix your eyes upon Jesus. The veil has been torn, giving access into the immediate presence of God, and He calls you to draw near (Luk. 23:45; Heb. l0: 19-22). “I pray that the eyes of your heart will be enlightened….”

Key #4 – Journaling, the writing out of your prayers and God’s answers, brings great freedom in hearing God’s voice.

God told Habakkuk to record the vision (Hab. 2:2). This was not an isolated command. The Scriptures record many examples of individual’s prayers and God’s replies (e.g. the Psalms, many of the prophets, Revelation).

I call the process “two-way journaling,” and I have found it to be a fabulous catalyst for clearly discerning God's inner, spontaneous flow, because as I journal I am able to write in faith for long periods of time, simply believing it is God. I know that what I believe I have received from God must be tested. However, testing involves doubt and doubt blocks divine communication, so I do not want to test while I am trying to receive. With journaling, I can receive in faith, knowing that when the flow has ended I can test and examine it carefully, making sure that it lines up with Scripture.

You will be amazed when you journal. Doubt may hinder you at first, but throw it off, reminding yourself that it is a biblical concept, and that God is present, speaking to His children. Relax. When we cease our labors and enter His rest, God is free to flow (Heb. 4:10). Sit back comfortably, take out your pen and paper, smile, and turn your attention toward the Lord in praise and worship, seeking His face. After you write your question to Him, become still, fixing your gaze on Jesus. You will suddenly have a very good thought. Don't doubt it; simply write it down. Later, as you read your journaling, you, too, will be blessed to discover that you are indeed dialoguing with God.

Some final notes: Knowing God through the Bible is a vital foundation to hearing His voice in your heart, so you must have a solid commitment to knowing and obeying the Scriptures. It is also very important for your growth and safety that you be related to solid, spiritual counselors. All major directional moves that come through journaling should be confirmed by your counselors before you act upon them.

For a complete teaching on this topic, order the book 4 Keys to Hearing God’s Voice at www.CWGministries.org. Online catalog of 60 books by Mark & Patti Virkler as well as 100 college courses through external degree: www.cluonline.com

Harry the Guitarist

Harry was a young beggar who spent all his life on the street but he was not an ordinary beggar he was talented in music especially in playing guitar. People pass by him to request a certain song that he plays for them and before they leave for their life activities they throw him some money in a little gray old bucket and this sound of the coins going down in it was the best music ever heard by Harry. The guitar was his only possession and since he couldn’t afford to buy one many say that he stole it, others say he just found it in the garbage, we don’t know how he got his guitar but he was really a good steward of it because he guarded it with all caution over the years. Harry lived to please people’s taste all the time; he discovered the varieties of characters & personalities over the years by the music requested from him daily. He reached a point where he almost could guess what someone would like to hear before he was ever asked. The same people used to come back to Harry not because they loved his music only but because Harry was so loveable and favored. One day a businessman brought him as a gift a new expensive guitar to express better his skills because sometimes we long to communicate clearly and powerfully our heart but our words fall short or the means we use are of low quality. This took his business to a whole new level where he attracted more people to him. When God wanted to express his love to you he found nothing more perfect than to send you his only begotten Son Jesus Christ who is the very expressed image of God whose love on the cross attracted many when he was lifted there. Jesus is the fullness of God’s Love to you!

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39

Glory to God
Tony Francis

Manifestations – What do they mean?

By Kathie Walters

The Holy Spirit always wants to demonstrate what God says. “God confirmed the word with signs following” and in Hebrews chapter 2 it says, “How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation – which at first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard Him. God ALSO BEARING THEM WITNESS both with signs and wonders and divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit … according to His own will.” Well we know for sure that God wants to do signs and wonders and confirm His own word because it just said so.

I don’t know why some Christians think is it so spiritual to say, “I don’t need signs and wonders.” Well Jesus actually relied on signs and wonders and manifestations. He went out of the way to make sure the Holy Spirit had an opportunity to demonstrate the words He spoke. Jesus said “I am the bread of Life” and fed the 5000. He said “I am the resurrection and the life” and He raised the dead. He said “I am the light of the world” and He opened the eyes of the blind. God always wants to do what He says The Apostle Paul said. “I came not to you in word only but in demonstration of the Spirit and in power (1 Thess).

So God talks to us through in different ways. He talks through the Bible which contains the word of God. He talks to us through the Holy Spirit who brings us life. The Bible was quite dead to me until the Holy Spirit showed up and made it come alive. Then the Holy Spirit started to speak through preachers, and prophets. Remember when Jesus was answering Satan? He said, “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (Matt 4:4) you don’t just take any scripture and use it – you have to discern what God is saying to you NOW – TODAY. The proceeding word, the word or scripture that is coming to you now, today.

That is why signs and wonders are important… They are a part of what God does and says and we should pay attention to the manifestations of the Holy Spirit because GOD IS TALKING TO YOU.

Years ago well-meaning churches would preach the gospel message of salvation every Sunday night – even through the congregation of 50 had been saved for 20 years at least. While it was in the Bible it wasn’t the proceeding word to those people. They didn’t stop to listen to what God was saying today. That would have moved them to the next place God had for them. Instead they stayed where they were and “froze” in time.

When God is moving by His Spirit it is in order to demonstrate something or tell you something. The signs and wonders are not meant to entertain us although I must say it can be very entertaining… But we should take note and listen. Many people are smelling the different Aromas in the meetings (and out of the meetings). Each aroma is God speaking to you. I have a great book called “The Spiritual meaning of Aromas, flowers, trees and colors.” Many people have dreams and visions of different flowers, trees, colors etc. – but in all those things GOD IS TALKING. For dream and vision interpretation get a copy of THE DIVINITY CODE…

For example – aroma of strawberries means friendship with God. Apples – The Beloved’s breath smells like sweet apples, Jesus is breathing on you. Peppermint – refreshing and so on. They are in my book.

Signs… If you preach healing – the Holy Spirit will heal people because He will confirm the Word. Sometimes the anointing comes on someone and God uses them for a sign to say something.

One time when my husband David, was ministering in Florida the Holy Spirit was moving on people at the end of the meeting. One man was on the floor unable to move for a long time. He kept trying to get up – you have probably seen the same thing. I saw an angel sitting on the man’s chest. I said to him, “God won’t let you up until you listen to what He says.” After a while he did listen and then the angel got up and then he got up- a bit shaken. He told me later that he thought the power of his mind was as strong as the power of God Well I don’t think he thought that again.

In the same meeting a lady started running backwards. She ran backwards round the church. Then she ran backwards out of the door and across the parking lot. The elders very wisely decided to wait on God the next morning to find out what He was saying. God spoke to them and said, “You are not going forward in this move until you go back for the children.” The church had David come and bring all the children and youth into the revival and into the anointing. Then the whole church moved on in the move of the Spirit.

I got up to speak at a church a while ago… When I opened my mouth to speak it was as if my lips were glued together. I was not able to open my mouth. The Lord spoke to me and said, “My Lips are sealed.” We waited but then someone jumped up and took an offering so we didn’t wait to see what the Lord said by not speaking.

Sometimes when I am preaching my arm or hand or gets stuck – I have to wait until we “get it” before we can move on in the meeting. Tonight while I was speaking in the Gold Coast, Australia my left hand got “stuck.” My arm was slightly raised and my hand as turned downwards. It stayed like that for a couple of minutes while we waited to see what it was all about. Then my hand felt like it was resting on the head of small boy’s head, I could feel his hair under my hand I remember how Jesus blessed the children. In the original translation it means He laid hands on them to anoint them. The children are anointed too – they have the same Holy Spirit as any adult. Read some of my husband, David's material on my website. He has little kids praying for the sick and sees miracles happen all the time.

A pastor friend of mine in the Midwest once got frozen in the spirit in the front of a Dennys restaurant. She was putting her wallet back in her purse and the Holy Spirit came on her she got frozen with her hands half way in her purse. From past experience I know that can be 5 min or 5 hours so I stood by and waited. People came out of the restaurant to pay their bill and saw her. They asked me what she was doing and I told them she was talking to God. Well my friend stayed like that for 55 min and by that time a little crowd had gathered by the seat at the front of Denny’s restaurant. Eventually the anointing lifted and she “came back” so to speak. She noticed the crowd ( about 15 people by then_) I told her they had been there for 55 minutes so she went over and started ministering to them, She got a couple of people healed, and some saved and she prophesied over a few. She became a sign that made them sit there for an hour and wonder. So sometimes YOU get to be the sign and wonder. But God is talking! Listen and watch – don’t let things pass you by. God doesn’t always “speak” to speak. He speaks through signs and wonders and various gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Blessings

Kathie and David Walters
www.kathiewaltersministry.com

Relationships like Heaven

I am wondering how relationships look like in heaven? How do people treat each other up there? But before I proceed talking about relationships I want to shed a light on this idea that I find foundational. Relationships are a divine concept and issue from the heart and the nature of God because as you know God is a Trinity, Father Son & Holy Spirit. He is one God in 3 separate persons that share the same nature, divinity and unity. God the Father has a will separate than the will of the Son and the Holy Spirit, that’s why we see Jesus surrendering his will to the will of his Father before he went to the cross. (Luke 22:42)

The Concept of relationships is from eternity and this glorious fellowship in the Godhead is intimate even before the creation of Angels. Everything good initiates from God and he wants us to enjoy this eternal pleasure of being involved in godly relationships with him and others as he is with himself and his children. God is a relational God and everything he does is based on this and he made you a partner with the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 13:14). People who are in heaven are looking at the throne of God and at his right hand where Jesus sits and the Holy Spirit who is before the throne and they are beholding this glorious fellowship going on in the Godhead and are mirroring the exact same thing with each other.

Jesus: “But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Matthew 5:44-45). See? God’s nature is the guideline for our relationships and the more we are transformed into his image the more our relationships will be holy and heavenly not the opposite, work on being changed first and not on changing others or the relationship itself. Jesus also said: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34- 35). Jesus first modeled practically before us how to do it. Oh if you really want an exciting glorious life of blessed relationships, look at the Trinity! God longs that relationships in your personal life, in your church, in your workplace, in your family, in your community, in your school, in your university and in the marketplace to be on earth as it is heaven! Let God coach you in relationships and bring you revival!

 Glory to God
Tony Francis