Tag Archive for: fish

Fill The Space

By Francisco Arboleda

Recently, while completing some tasks at home, I suddenly felt the presence of the Lord. It came so quickly and heavily that I had to stop and lean into His presence. I heard the Lord say, “Fill the space.”

Immediately, I put down what I was doing and went into a private room where I could begin to pray.

The Lord continued, “My mandates are not optional, they are my orders for my people; if you don’t fill the space someone else will.”

That word provoked me and brought the fear of the Lord with it. The thought of the enemy filling spaces that the children of the Lord leave open is troubling, to say the least.

I believe the Lord is bringing His people into a revelation of His authority like we have not seen before, and through this word, and others like it in the days to come, the Body of Christ will have an opportunity to engage with the Holy Spirit to activate the Lord’s mandates across the earth.

We are in challenging times in our nations. But as we choose to seek God above all else, the Bible promises that the whole earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord.

In this hour, it is of critical importance to remember the authority we have in Him… AND how to use that authority. It’s not for selfish gain. Remember, what the Lord gives, He gives for the benefit of all people.

I want to share some key insights so that you can engage with this word today.

“Fill The Earth”

In Genesis 1:28, we are told that “God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it….’” Fill the earth is another way to say fill the space that He has entrusted to us.

A key word in this text is “be.” He wants us to “be”-come what He has mandated. We do this through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

The Lord will help us to “be” a multiplier of Kingdom authority on the earth.

So here is your question to ponder with Him this month: Where can you partner with the Holy Spirit to become a Kingdom multiplier and fill the space(s) He has entrusted to you?

Ask the Holy Spirit where you may have the opportunity to increase.

Part of understanding authority is to realize that, as believers, we are to steward the blessings of the Lord. Can the Lord trust you with the blessings of heaven?

When the Lord told “man” (male and female) to fill the earth and subdue it (i.e., rule and reign on His behalf), Adam and Eve had not done a thing to earn that authority, but they did have the opportunity within their relationship with God to grow in their ability to steward all He had blessed them with.

It is the same for us today.

You do not need to “earn” the authority God has given to you in the spaces (realms, spheres, territories, and assignments) to which He has called and entrusted you. But it is time for us to steward the things He has given us so that we can begin to see the increase.

Hint: It’s more about your willingness to learn than what you already know.

We are Set Under the Authority of Jesus

In Luke 7:8-9 the Roman officer says, “For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.’” When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed Him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.”

Can you imagine Jesus saying this about you? I believe He wants to. According to the Bible, God’s entire plan is to use those who believe in Him to show others how it should be.

We are to be an example to the world around us and in this story, we see Jesus pointing out exactly that.

I love what the centurion says, “For I too am a man set under authority.” There are a lot of places we can go in the area of authority, according to this teaching. But what I see on display here is the humility shown by this man. With Kingdom authority, a Christ-like humility is required. Remember, Jesus came to serve and not be served and yet was given all authority. He came down from heaven to display the mercy of our heavenly Father, and in obedience, took our place on the cross so that we might be saved.

In the case of the centurion, others responded to his authority, which was given to him by a superior authority. He also obeyed his superiors and carried out their orders. This earned him promotion within the ranks.

Similarly, Jesus is our Superior Authority, and the more we submit to Him, the more authority we carry into the world for the benefit of others.

Fill Your Space

Lastly, in the story of David and Goliath, the enemy is viciously taunting God’s people through Goliath, who is filling the space with mocking and taunts of defeat. The enemy was filling the space intended for the army of the Lord… God’s people cowered on the sidelines instead of defending their territory (space).

But all it took was one “David” to arise on behalf of God’s plans and purposes! Just one, who was willing to fill the space with truth, boldness, and confidence in the Lord. Just one, who was willing to step out into the “impossible” to take back the space and see the enemy defeated.

David learned to “fill the space” in the pastures and as an errand boy and worshipper. He came to know, love, and trust God in all things.

When you love God above everything – His ways, His commandments, His statutes – you discover how to let Him fill the space of your heart and mind. From there, we can then partner with Him to fill any space, realm, or territory on the earth.

It’s time to see an increase in the authority of the Lord in His people.

Are you ready to fill the space?

Are you ready to be a David? Are you willing to trust the Lord in all your ways? Are you willing to allow the authority of the Lord to grow in you as you move in obedience toward His mandates?

If so, join me in this prayer:

Lord, thank You for Your Word and Your promises… and that since creation, it was always part of Your plan that we would walk in the Kingdom authority You have given to us. Lord, help me to fill the spaces of my life with Your presence. I look to Your promises to follow You and lead others in the way we should go. I look to Your Word as orders for my life; I know You love me, and You’ll lead me where I should go. In Jesus’ name, help me to walk in Your authority and fill the spaces. Amen!

Francisco Arboleda

Francisco Arboleda is a key member of the Patricia King Ministries family.  He was hand-picked by Patricia to serve as the Pastor of Shiloh Fellowship – a church with both a global and local outreach. He has the heart of a true shepherd, caring for and covering every member of the congregation.  He is walking in his calling, and living his dream. His passion is to help others do the same.

The Falling of the Dragon

“Then God said, ‘Let’s make human beings in our image, making them reflective of us—God! They’re to be in charge of everything: fish in the ocean, birds in the sky, livestock on the land, and all the wild things crawling around. They’re to be in charge of Earth and everything that breathes and moves across it.' ” Genesis 1:26

It's a no-brainer that when God created Adam, he would rule over the animals in nature, so why do we read this verse in Genesis 1:26 as plainly as we do? I believe it conveys more than a simple meaning. Yes, mankind rules over creation; we have authority over it, but I understand from the context of the text in Genesis that God is highlighting authority.

God has authority over darkness, the enemy, and his companions. God is not interested in having authority over the natural beasts of the forests. Jesus came to destroy the devil and his works by the anointing of the Holy Spirit!

In the Garden of Eden, the first Adam was surrounded by beasts, the talking snake, and he was deceived by it and cast out of the garden. The second Adam, Jesus Christ, was tempted in the wilderness, not a garden, and was surrounded by beasts, the spiritual demonic forces, for forty nights and days.

He cast the devil out and ushered in the Kingdom of God. We are talking about spiritual beasts, ferocious beings, dragons, and violent entities that don't rest night and day until they occupy high places—the “birds of the sky” and the “creeping creatures of the land”. But in Christ, you are to rule over all realms! If you don't, you are not operating in the image of God, who is authority! Do you remember the parable of the mustard seed that became a huge tree, and then birds came to land over it? Those birds refer to demons that come to oppress your fruitfulness and mess with you to steal the glory of God from your life. Do you understand that? Authority is everything!

Psalm 2 tells us that the One who sits on the throne laughs at the enemies because he has authority; he is authority, and the one who is and has authority is always happy! Why? Because nothing can defeat him. Are you on the throne? Yes, you are. The word of God tells us we are seated in Christ in heavenly places far above powers and principalities. But is your authority active? That's the question. You can be an inactive king or an active one. You choose!

“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.'” Genesis 1:27-28

After we read the commissioning of authority for Adam in verse 26, God revealed something HUGE to us in verses 27 and 28. Without authority, you can't be fruitful, blessed, effective, ever-increasing, and multiplying, first! The enemy knows that and he does his best to blind you from this revelation and veil it.

If you are not aware of this, if you don't understand and get the finger of God, the Holy Spirit, to be active to cast away the beasts, the dragon, and the demonic entities, you will get nowhere! Christ's authority is the answer, your answer. Everything will remain the same in your life until you ascend in power and authority.

I've developed a new anointed video course unpacked from Psalm 24 that will revolutionize the way you will live and will position you for heights, blessings, and possessions. I want you to learn about your authority and how it brings the Glory on earth as it is in heaven. With this new 1-hour video course, I am offering you a package of 10+ hours of videos and my downloadable eBooks, all of them, and a personal prophetic word for a sowing to the ministry that is ridiculous. Learn about THIS deal here:

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God bless you,
Tony Francis

The Word of the Lord For 2024: Birthing & High Hopes in Business

Jesus Christ is the center of times, and everything the heavenly Father does or proclaims is all centered around His glorious Son, Yeshua, because the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy. The following prophetic word glorifies one person only and exalts Him on high because He is worthy!

What is God saying for the year 2024? HEALING.

I believe that the Holy Spirit dropped this beautiful one word in my spirit for what is to come and what the earth is stepping into. God is about the business of healing the earth of the many waves, tsunamis, turbulences, shakings, and storms it tolerated.

I feel in my heart the rise of the peace/shalom/wholeness of the Lord as a high and lifted-up banner over the earth, especially in the marketplace. Why the market?

The marketplace, or let’s refer to it as the business mountain, is on God’s heart big time because God loves services. Jesus’s ministry is all about being a servant to others; He said, “I came to serve and not to be served.” There is greatness in serving and being in lowly places to lift others to a better place of quality of life.

This area, the business avenue, suffered from the attempt to shift it from a place of serving to a place of just surviving fueled by fear and selfishness, and thus its original pure purpose becomes contaminated and moves far from servanthood. God wants and will bring healing to that in Jesus’ name!

The Lord will restore lost dreams, and broken businesses in 2024 and beyond. It is going to be like an explosion and the birthing of new hopes, networks, ideas, and companies, to a place of taking the pampering of humans to the next level. I see in the spirit a move of the Holy Spirit in airplanes and airports. God is going to bring such beauty, wisdom, order, renovation, revolution, and rest to the flying experience. Airplanes will indeed soar this year!

God will back you up in your business this year like never before. As you know, 5784 and 2024 are the years of the DOOR, which means entrance, opportunity, and the King of Glory coming in powerfully.

If God is urging you to start a certain business or upgrade, I don’t think there are better times than that. Let’s discern times and seasons and walk aligned with what Heaven is doing as illuminated people of God, walking in His wisdom, discernment, understanding, and boldness for the glory of the Lord. It is going to be very exciting; believe me, that you will be standing on your tiptoe thrilled with high hopes and the blessings of the Lord.

I totally see the Lord highlighting the business mountain this year, and He is going to land on it and use His Church in this arena in greater integration because what the Church carries from anointing, creativity, wisdom, favor, love, and values orchestrated by the Spirit of Jesus, no one carries!

God means business this year; let’s shake hands and partner with Him!

Amen

Blessed and Happy New Year to you

Tony Francis

You may also be interested in reading this article: 5784/2024 Year of the Kingdom Era Gates of Glory

The Importance of Faith In the Life of the Christian Believer

“For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” (1 John 5:4).

What Is Faith?
Faith is a strong feeling of trust in someone or something
For the Christian believer, faith is belief and trust in one God
According to Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”

Faith is so critical and important in our lives, as Christians, that it occurs or mentioned 100 times in the Bible – 28 times in the Old Testament and 72 times in the New Testament.

“By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible” (Hebrews 11:3).
The world or creation itself was founded in faith when God made the following decrees;
• “Let there be light” – (Genesis 1:3)
• “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters and let divide the waters from the waters” – (Genesis 1:6)
• “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered unto one place, and let the dry land appear” – (Genesis 1:9)
• “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yield fruit according to its kind” – (Genesis 1:11)
• The decree continues until the creation of man when God said “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth” –(Genesis 1:26)

Faith is very crucial in the life of the Christian believer for the following reasons:

1) As Christian Believers, We Live By Faith
Romans 1:17 says “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written: the just shall live by faith”.

Also in Galatians 2:20 Apostle Paul tells us that “I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me”.

Our relationship with God through Jesus Christ, His Son, has been made right. God declared us to be righteous because of our faith in Christ “from faith to faith”
By faithfully trusting in God by our belief in Christ, we are saved and find life not only in this world but eternally.

2) As Christian Believers, We Are Firm In The Faith
Romans 11:20 says “Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not high minded but fear”.
2 Corinthians 1:24 puts it thus, “Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy, for by faith ye stand”.

Due to faithlessness, the Jews who are the natural branches of the tree were broken off. The Gentile believers have been grafted into the tree like a wild olive shoot. Both the Jews and Gentiles now share the tree’s nourishment based on faith in God. No one can rest on heritage or culture for salvation. The Gentiles should not feel superior to the Jews because if God had not rejected the Jews, as it were, the Gentiles probably would not have had a chance.

3) As Christian Believers, We Combat The Good Fight
1 Timothy 6:12 says “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called and has professed good profession before many witnesses”.

As Christian believers, we must have an active faith, obeying God with courage and doing what we know is right.
It is time for action on your part. What are you waiting for? – Get going, don’t wait!

4) As Christian Believers, We Walk By Faith
2 Corinthians 5:7 says “For we walk by Faith, not by sight”.

5) As Christian Believers, We Win By Faith
In 1 John 5:4 where we took our text, we are told that we can overcome whatever challenge life throws on our way, as long as we have faith and trust in God.
It says “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith”.

6) As Christian Believers, We Are Justified By Faith
Romans 5:1 puts it thus, “Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”.

Peace with God means that we have been reconciled with Him. There is no more hostility between us and God, no sin blocking our relationship with Him. Peace with God is made possible by Jesus paying the price for our sins through His death on the cross.

7) As Christian Believers, We Please God By Faith
Hebrews 11:6 tells us that “But without faith it is impossible to please Him; for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him”.

God wants us to have a personal dynamic relationship with Him, and not just a mere knowledge of His existence. After all the demons and witches know that God exists, that does not stop them from doing evil. Those who seek Him diligently will find that they have intimate relationship with Him. When you tell others about the gospel, please encourage them to be honest and diligent in their search for truth and faith in God.

8) As Christians Believers, We Grow In Faith
1 Thessalonian 1:3 says “Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God, and our Father”.

Like the Thessalonians who stood firm in the face of persecution, Apostle Paul is admonishing us to also do the work of God produced by faith, labour prompted by love, and endurance inspired by hope. These characteristics are the hall marks of an effective Christian believer.

9) As Christian Believers. We Die In Faith
“These all died in faith, not having received the promise, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers, and pilgrims on the earth” (Hebrews 11:13).

This world is not our home and cannot live here forever. Many people, especially of the Old Testament, died without receiving all that God promised. However, a good number of them never lost their vision of heaven.
Many of us become frustrated, and defeated when our needs, wants or expectations, are not immediately met on giving our lives to Christ, and therefore want to quit. If you are one of such people, please be patient, take courage from heroes of faith who lived and died without seeing the fruit of their faith on earth and yet, continued to believe (Hebrews 11:36-39).

Some Heroes of Faith Who Did Not See The Fruit Of Their Faith On Earth
Abel and Enoch (Hebrews 11:4-5)
Noah and Abraham (Hebrews 11:7-8)
Sarah and Isaac (Hebrews 11:11, 20)
Jacob and Joseph (Hebrews 11:21-22)
Moses and Rahab (Hebrews 11:23,31)
Boaz (Ruth 2:15-16)

Some Heroes of Faith Who Persevered And Saw The Fruit Of Faith

Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, the Prophets (Hebrews 11:32-33)

How To Grow In Faith Through Jesus Christ
“That we henceforth be no children, tossed to and fro , and caused about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive” (Ephesians 4:14).
1) Growing In Faith Begins With The New Birth Through The Word Of God
1 Peter 2:2 says “As new born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby”.

One thing common to all children is that they want to grow up – like their big brothers and sisters or their parents. Similarly, when we are born again, we become spiritual new babies, if healthy, we will yearn to grow. The need for milk is a natural instinct for a baby, and it signals the desire for nourishment that will lead to growth. In the same way, since we see the need for God’s word and begin to find nourishment with Christ, our spiritual appetite will increase and we will start to mature. How strong is your desire for God’s word?

2) As Children, We are Fed With Milk
“For everyone that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe” (Hebrews 5:13)

Commitment to Christ moves people out of their comfort zones or positions. You cannot grow as a Christian if you remain in the same position instead of applying what you have learned to your situation and teaching others. As a new born Christian, stop your old ways of doing things, fellowship with the brethren and imbibe the new culture in Christ. In this way, you will be able to understand the high-priestly role of Christ.

3) As Adults, We Are Fed With Solid Food
“But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:14).

Your spiritual growth determines your capacity to feast on deeper knowledge of God (solid food). More often than not, we want God;s banquet before we are spiritually capable of digesting it. As we grow in the Lord and put into practice what we have learned, our capacity to understand will also grow.

4) Many Remain Eternal Christians
Hebrews 5:12-14 tells us “Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way, but let it rather be healed. Follow peace with all men and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord”.

In order for us to grow from baby Christians to adult or mature Christians, we must learn discernment. We must train our consciences, minds, senses and our bodies to distinguish between good and evil. Can you recognise temptation before you? Can you tell the difference between correct text of Scripture and a mistaken one?

5) We Should All Grow And Become Adults
Ephesians 4:13-14 admonishes us to walk in unity.
Working together, the church can express the fullness of Christ – Ephesians 3:19
Christ is the Truth – John 14:6
The Holy Spirit who guides the church is the Spirit of Truth – John 16:13
Satan, by contrast, is the father of lies – John 8:44

As followers of Christ, we must be committed to the truth. This means that our words should be honest and our actions should reflect Christ’s integrity as well. We should realise that speaking the truth in love is not always easy, convenient or pleasant. However, this is very necessary if the church is going to do Christ’s work on earth. Remember that YOU are the church.

6) The Lord Looks After Our Growth
Ephesians 4:11-13 says “And He gave some Apostles, and some Prophets, and some Evangelists, and some Pastors, and some Teachers. For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”.

The Holy Spirit has given every Christian a special gift for building up the church. Now that we have these gifts, it is imperative we use them. If you know what your gifts are, please look fo opportunity to serve the Lord and use them. If you do not know, ask God to show you, perhaps with the help of your Pastor or other Christian friends. The enormous responsibility the church has includes preaching, teaching, evangelising, healing, giving, nurturing, administering, building, etc. God has called us as members of His body to perform this responsibility. Together we can obey God more fully than anyone alone. Working together, in unity, the church can express the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 3:19).

7) The Word Is The Best Way Of Generating Our Growth In Faith
Acts 20:32 puts it this way “And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the Word of His grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified”.

Like he prayed for the Ephesians in this passage, Apostle Paul is also praying for and commending you and I to God and His Word that the more we know Christ (our model), through the word, the more we will be like Christ. Study Jesus in the Gospel to see what He was like on earth. Personal knowledge of Christ through the Word will greatly change our lives. How much of His Word do you know? How much of Him are you willing to learn?

Until you invite Jesus Christ into your life (being born again) God’s continued presence can never abide with you. Today, accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour. Ask Him to have mercy on you and forgive your sins and become the Master and Ruler of your soul, henceforth.
If you have backslid, retrace your steps back to Him right now and rededicate your life to God. However, if you have a living relationship with God, then tell others about Him – how much He loves us, He is our Savior, Redeemer and He died for our sins in order that we might not have to face the punishment that we rightly deserve. He is coming back the second time to take with Him all those who believe and accept Him, by faith, into their lives to live with Him eternally.
Congratulations if you have just accepted Jesus Christ into your life. Now look for a Bible believing church in your neighborhood to attend and you will be taught and grow in the Word of God.

God Bless You.       

#PathofLife

Why do we not receive when we ask despite the assurance in Matthew 7:7?

I want to take you through the scripture in Matthew 7:7-11 but before then, I want you to take note of the previous chapters, chapter 5 and 6. In Chapter 5 Jesus taught the crowd what is known as ‘the beatitudes’ how to live right or the right attitude of a child of God. What I call Jesus' way.

Right after he established his teachings from chapter 5 through chapter 6 and in verse 7 of chapter 7 he said “Ask, and it will be given to you, search, and you will find, knock, and the door will be opened for you.
The question is “why did Jesus take them through those teachings of beatitudes before telling them to ask, search and knock? Because it’s assumed that they must have gotten the lesson “we must have learnt the lesson and now we can ask right”. But it’s unfortunate that wasn’t the case, we don’t just care about the lesson we want results. One of the reasons people go after miracles, signs and wonders today. They don’t want to know about God and they care less about building a relationship with God either. Just jump and grab!

Not because you have been given the privilege to ask so you ask the head of John the Baptist… you ask for the life of your neighbour whom you regard as an enemy or you go to God with a list of your wants with an expectation to receive from God, I’m sorry there’s nothing for you!
On the ground of that privilege given to us to ask, we are expected to ask in accordance with the Will of God for us which was the reason for the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ that we may know the Will of God for us and His precept.

In verse 9 and 10, Jesus gave practical examples of the things we can ask for among others. “9 Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? Food is essential and that is why God hasn’t for once failed to provide food for His children even in the wilderness, even when we fail to ask He knows we are in need of food.
In verse “10 Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake?” God knows all that we need and has not failed to provide for us. The case is that some of us don’t know the difference between need and want so it feels like God does not honour His Word. His Word is forever settled in heaven and will always accomplish the purpose of which it was sent.

When we fail to learn the lesson and ask wrongly, it’s entirely our fault and not God’s fault. If you bring charges against God you will be in the wrong… Jeremiah 12:1. Because God is a righteous God!!! When we learn to live right with one another, forgive those who offend us…Our heavenly father will never deny us anything good. Amen!

Tell Me Your Name

He sat there waiting for a sign that he had a catch.  Only this time he had no heart to reel it in.  He felt lost and out of place.  This was something that he had done for years.  He knew it inside out.  It used to be so second nature that it was like breathing.  Only now, it felt like suffocating.

I imagine those were Peter’s thoughts after Jesus’ resurrection.  He betrayed the only one who ever made him feel alive.  Now he did not know how to live.

In John 13 Jesus informs Peter that he will succumb to the fears and ways that he left when he became a fisher of men.  It is astounding that Jesus tells Peter that he will fall but does not strip him of his new identity.  He uses the name that he assigns to Simon.  He calls him Peter, his rock.  I am sure that was a shock to Peter.  Nothing in his actions showed the fortitude and stability of a rock. But Jesus reminds Peter to rise up from his failure after it happens and get back to his purpose.  The act of falling did not overshadow Peter’s identity.  Who he was, was not synonymous with what he did.  Jesus knew that, but Peter had to learn to separate his failure from who he was.  He had to distance himself from what happened.  Is there something that is holding you back from being who God created you to be?  Are there weights that are trying to keep you from rising to the new life God has for you?  God’s forgiveness and restoration is more powerful than anyone’s word or anything that you could do.

After his resurrection, Jesus challenges Peter by asking him to finally lay to death the man he once was and embrace who he had become.

Jesus Reinstates Peter

John 21

15After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?e”

“Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.”

“Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him.

16Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

“Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.”

“Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said.

17A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.

He challenges him with the acknowledgment of who he was by calling him Simon Peter but questions who he chooses to be in the present?  Jesus showed Peter his true character and potential.  He opened his eyes to his purpose. Peter is asked to face his past and make a choice.   Jesus tells Peter, that love means leaving the past behind and living in the fullness of his new life.  What will you choose today?  You can leave the past in the past and walk in your present with purpose.  Let the light of the world be the beacon that leads you to fulfill God’s purpose in your life.

 

Blessed, Cursed then Blessed

From my book “Blessed in Christ” – How to live like a Christianaire! Purchase & download your digital copy today! Click here.

God called you blessed when he created you.

In Genesis chapter one, God made man in his image and likeness and commissioned him things to do. You are made in God's image and God is blessed, so you are blessed.

“Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” Genesis 1: 26-28

But before God blessed them to DO, he already blessed them to BE. Man was blessed because he was made after the image and likeness of God, Selah. It can’t get any better! The greatest blessing you can have is to be like the one who brought you into existence, God Almighty.

Before doing things with him and for him, before possessing substances, before having titles, names, and positions, your ultimate blessing resides in being made in God's image.

Now the devil was at the corner to steal the blessings of man and to distort his blessed image, and he did.

Adam lost it all including us because we were “in Adam”, same nature of him, and because of Adam mankind was cursed including the land itself. Sin, curse, and death entered the world through yielding to the temptation of doing it all without God. The devil succeeded and distanced us from God. We never wanted God!

Many including me used to ask: “why would I receive someone else’s fault, sin, and consequence?” and we become angry with Adam, after all, he is the reason of all the pain and mess in our world. Then we try hard and make it our quest to reach heaven for one thing, to slap Adam and spill all our anger on him.

My friend, the reason you and I would have received and lived in the death loop of someone else’s fault simply is because if we were to replace Adam, we would have done the same thing he did. God is merciful to you and me that he didn't chose us to be public pioneers in messing it all from the dawn of creation. Thank God your name and mine is not listed on the first pages of the bible as a lesson to remember forever! How about that? (Yeah you can praise him here).

For all men have fallen short and needed the Glory of God.

“The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the LORD said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth–men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air–for I am grieved that I have made them.”

Fast-forwarding to the good news. Our Lord Jesus Christ, the second and last Adam, the perfect man without a sin, wrinkle and blemish came and gave himself for our atonement and eternal sacrifice, redeemed us and cleansed us by his blood and reconciled us back to God.

THE Door was opened for us to come boldly before the throne of grace and mercy through Christ.

When God created man he said, “It is very good”. God will only put an “it is very good” stamp over what he makes. He will never say very good to our self-righteousness, failing religious attempts or to our “intelligent” strategies to build a tower to reach Heaven. It was so clear and LOUD when God said over Jesus Christ, the only Lamb of God, at the river of Jordan when John the Baptist baptized him “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased”.

The person and sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross is the only pleasing thing to God. Redeem your time and stop trying to look good for God. Just humble yourself, receive Jesus Christ in your heart and you will be stamped again “VERY GOOD”! Jesus is your righteousness. What a gift!

“All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.” Isaiah 64:6

All the animal sacrifices made in the Old Testament although required by God himself didn’t please him. They were only a temporary covering and shadow for what was coming, for who already came, Jesus Christ!

Our blessed Lord died for all, one sacrifice, one salvation for eternity! It is the gift of grace and righteousness offered by God to us because he loves us and wants us back because though sinners are loved by God they can't live in the abode of his holiness. Hallelujah, the high cost of pride was paid by THE humble ONE. The Justice and Mercy of God were fulfilled in Jesus on the cross.

God is just and merciful. He knows we are sinners who can't redeem themselves by themselves, so he sent his son as THE sacrifice, paid the price of sin with a severe judgment and unleashes his mercy over everyone who receives Christ and what he accomplished for us. On the cross, the justice and mercy of God hugged each other!

In Christ, you are blessed!

This is what I am going to walk you through in this book that I pray will impart revelation, faith and awareness of who you are in him and to help you position yourself to receive every good gift God has in store for you. He knows what he has planned for you, it is thoughts of peace to give you hope and a future but do you know it?

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:1-2

I can’t list all the blessings of Christ to you that’s why you have your bible that speaks volumes! I will share some of it here to get you started so you can sail deeper with the Spirit later.

I want to whet your appetite!

Remember you are blessed first when you are Christ like and blessed with a real inheritance as well that God longs for you to know about, possess, enjoy and glorify him with it.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” Ephesians 1:3

Toni Francis

From my book “Blessed in Christ” – How to live like a Christianaire! Purchase & download your digital copy today! Click here.

Fish & Soul Party

“The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, ‘He's a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!” Luke 7:34

If there is a man who knows how to party hard, it is Jesus! It was his reputation after all, everywhere at all times. When people looks at you coming they may say here comes the businessman, or here comes the funny one, there she comes hyperactive woman. But for Jesus it was different, here comes the “Party Man”!

The reason Jesus partied hard is not for the sake of the thrill of it although he loves joy, he is JOY. But he never missed an invitation not for the party itself but for who was there. Jesus is so interested in the attendees. He loves them! He visited those parties, engaged with the atmosphere totally, and interacted with others without sin. He was excited yet he remained focused on why he is visiting. He was there to tell all those seasoned attendees who were experts in parties, drinks, dancing, good food that your parties SUCK! Actually, he never said that openly, but it was, comparing to THE PARTY he was preparing for them, for YOU, the wedding of the LAMB!

The gospel of Jesus is THE good news for you that there is a greater party than the ones you are throwing every night and day in this world. In his party, you are not just an attendee served well but you are his own bride. If you are betrothed to Jesus and you are his bride, you have the chance to choose from now the flowers on the table, the music to play, the kind of food to serve. It is a mutual wedding, a mix of your taste with his.

If you really want to upgrade your party life, if you want to increase the dose, marry this happy guy as I did.

P.S: by the way, make sure to fill the banquets with fish, Jesus loves it. See you there!

Tony Francis
Glory to God

The Prison Of Emotions

Some people are in the prison of drugs, some are in the prison of alcoholism, some are in the prison of adultery and pornography, some are in the prison of depression and hopelessness, some are in the prison of selfishness but some are in the prison of emotional attachment and many aren't aware of it. Jesus came to release the captives free; his power is available to you today to get you out of this prison. It’s a new day of freedom for you in the area of relationships.

What’s an emotional attachment? Emotions are a God-Given gift to us and it’s normal and balanced to experience a healthy emotional bond toward the ones you love and those you are close to, can you imagine a relationship without feelings? It’s dry, isn’t it? But it is a real problem when this emotional bond becomes bondage. It becomes bondage when you can’t live without someone and when this one becomes your source of every need and satisfaction and not God. The only person you can be slave to and remain free is God. Some people reading this can’t even live without the remembrance of people they loved but they lost, this too falls under the category of emotional attachment and you need to be free. Can you think of someone in your life today you can’t let go? Remember you don’t own these people they belong to God; they are his property so make sure not to put your label of ownership on what God owns.

I remember being tortured with this for years and years until the Lord dealt with me and healed my emotions and released me. Today my relationships are more blessed with these people that I used to relate to them without balance. Oh, I can’t tell you how beautiful this freedom is that God offers you in your relationships.  This freedom is calling your name today, come up!

Prayer:

Lord, for those serious about it I release your grace to touch their emotions with your breakthrough and freedom, and what they used to struggle with for years they can surmount now easily. Bless their relationships for your Glory in Jesus name. Amen! (I hear in the spirit the chains falling off and I sense that God will enlarge the territory of your relationships by sending more divine connections and people for you because now he can entrust you with more). Hallelujah, Glory to God!

Glory to God
Tony Francis

Jesus Loves Fish

This word isn’t for deep theologians unless you are ready to be stretched by its simplicity. I’ve always read my bible trying to extract the deep spiritual meanings of contents but it’s so rare that I read it with simplicity. I believe that a balanced way of reading the bible is to behold it in a deep & a simple way at the same time. Some things in the life of Jesus are really simple that doesn’t require a deep super spiritual interpretation but though it’s simple, it’s also deep because it reveals something about him.

I’ve never dreamed of writing such a word but you know lots of unexpected things happen with you when you hang out with Holy Spirit. I call it a creative prophetic word, and this creativity proceeds from God. Not a long time ago I was praying to know God in details because he knows me in details, I want to know his likes and his dislikes and there’s no one better than God to introduce God to you. It was funny when Holy Spirit told me: “Jesus Loves Fish”. After hearing that, my first response was to make this statement spiritual but in vain, because it is simple, Jesus Loves Fish and enough. Now after hearing this, I read all the scriptures concerning Jesus & Fish and boy, it was there all the time. Jesus indeed loves fish; I mean he really loves fish.

Paparazzi Camera

Let’s follow Jesus through the scriptures to catch him practicing his hobby of Fish and take him by surprise. Jesus was known by many things: his mercy, his healings, his deliverances, his prophetic words, his authority, his teachings, his love for people, his great miracles, his walking on water, his multiplications of bread & fish, his prayer life, and many other radical things … but do you know Jesus in the simple things he loves to do? Like loving fish for example?

1- Jesus multiplied Fish many times to feed people (Mathew 14, 15)
2- Jesus multiplied Fish for Peter’s business (Luke 5)
3- Jesus likened his disciples to be fishers of men (Mathew 4:19)
4- Fish Love Jesus, Wherever Jesus is Fish follow him. (John 21)
5- Jesus knows where Fish are exactly! (John 21:6)
6- Jesus provided his & Peter’s taxes out of a Fish (Mathew 17:27)
7- John the beloved knew Jesus after his resurrection by the abundance of Fish (John 21:7)
8- Jesus prepared a nice meal of Fish & Bread for breakfast to his disciples after his resurrection (John 21:9)
9- Jesus counted the Fish; I mean it really takes time to count 153 BIG Fish. He loves numbering it (John 21:11)
10- Jesus told parables using Fish to illustrate his ideas (Mathew 7)
11- Now, this is so funny. After his resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples and while they didn’t believe it, he asked them: “Do you have anything to eat?” … what do you think they gave him to eat? Of course, FISH, after all these years they have learned that their master loves Fish. Jesus took it and ate it in their presence, I think by this he proved to them he was Jesus! Now, they believe! (Luke 24) … His sudden apparition didn’t convince them, but eating fish did! Sometimes it takes simple things to make you believe.

Jesus loves you more than Fish

This simple truth of knowing that Jesus loves Fish can lead us into deeper truths about him. I am sure you know that Jesus loves you more than Fish. Jesus’ love isn’t like human love. We love things in a selfish way, sometimes we mess others in the name of Love. A man ruins a girl by committing adultery to her and titles this LOVE. Jesus’ Love is pure, perfect and not self-centered, it always bless & edify others! (1 Corinthians 13). What does Jesus do with the things he loves? His love for Fish & what he did with Fish is nothing compared to what he will do with you & for you, for his Love to you is far greater than his love for Fish:

1- Jesus will feed you the things he loves
2- Jesus will multiply the things you love according to his will
3- Jesus will make you the way he wants you to be
4- Wherever Jesus is, there you are
5- Jesus knows where you are exactly
6- Jesus hid you & hid treasures in you that he will draw out from you in time
7- Jesus reveals himself to you by the things he loves
8- Jesus will serve you the things he loves, He gives you his Glory
9- Jesus didn’t only number your hair, but you count to him
10- Jesus will make your lifetime story a great inspiration to many
11- Jesus will only be satisfied by the things he loves, he will ask you for fruit

2000 years passed & I still love Fish, now you know what to do when you invite me for dinner!

Glory to God
Tony Francis