Tag Archive for: freedom

Speak with Confidence, Lead with Love: How Jesus Modeled Prophetic Ministry!

Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith, demonstrated what it means to walk in the Spirit. Today, let’s explore how to prophesy like Jesus and learn from His example!

Recently, I shared the Word of the Lord for the Church, drawing insights from Luke chapter 19. Here, we find a profound exchange between Jesus, our Rabbi, and His disciples, revealing His unique approach to prophecy and words of knowledge. Are you eager to grow in the prophetic and be used by the Lord?

Here’s the story:

“After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, ‘Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’' Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, ‘Why are you untying the colt?' They replied, ‘The Lord needs it.' They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt, and put Jesus on it.” (Luke 19:28-35)

In this passage, Jesus prophesies with great detail, telling His disciples they would find a colt that had never been ridden. His words are bold, accurate, and carry divine authority. Notice that Jesus doesn’t waver or couch His statement with “I think” or “I feel.” He speaks with the full assurance of faith, setting an example for us in prophetic boldness. When we’re in the Spirit, we may experience moments of such assurance where we just know what to declare—and we say it confidently.

Jesus was well aware of the scriptural prophecy that He would enter Jerusalem on a colt, fulfilling His Father’s will. But beyond this knowledge, He discerns the precise timing and place, giving details only the Spirit could reveal. When the Holy Spirit moves us to declare something, it’s crucial to speak with clarity, neither watering down the message nor adding unnecessary embellishments. God is glorified not just by what we say, but by how we say it. Many times in my ministry, I’ve experienced this same Spirit-led certainty, where I knew with boldness that the Holy Spirit was speaking.

In a shift within the passage, Jesus models what I call “prophetic interactivity.” He instructs His disciples to say, “If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’” Jesus, knowing full well the owner would ask, could have said, “When they ask you…” Instead, He uses “if anyone asks.” Why? Because Jesus respects human free will, even in prophetic scenarios.

This subtle distinction teaches us something important about the prophetic: it respects people’s freedom to respond. Jesus declared with authority that the disciples would find a colt. However, when it came to the owner’s interaction, He instructed them with wisdom, leaving room for the owner’s decision. Even though Jesus likely knew the owner would agree, He didn’t override free will, emphasizing that the prophetic should be respectful and not impose on someone’s conviction.

But how can we be sure Jesus knew the owner would agree? Consider His instructions—He tells His disciples to untie the colt upon entering the village, implying confidence that permission would be granted. Yet, He still guides them to respond conditionally, saying, “If anyone asks…” Jesus, while confident in the outcome, leaves space for respectful engagement.

Incredible, right? Now, take these principles and apply them. Let’s walk in prophetic wisdom, boldness, and respect for free will, just as Jesus did.

God bless you
Tony Francis

Life Before Birth: God’s Plan for Every Child and the Truth About Abortion

“On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.” – Luke 2:21

I am not an expert on abortion, nor a Christian counselor in this matter, but I do have my own opinions and beliefs, which align with the Word of God. God is pro-life and commands us not to kill. However, when we decide on something—such as taking a life—we often engage in philosophical arguments, attempting to justify our actions. We create self-deceptive justifications that trap us in situations we mistakenly label as freedom and compassion.

Abortion is the act of ending the life of a human being who cannot defend themselves. In today’s world, we hear countless arguments trying to justify the termination of a conceived child. Many oppose late-term abortions because the baby is fully developed, while some accept early-term abortions, believing that the child is not yet clearly formed. However, whether it’s an early or late-term abortion, it remains an act of killing—a crime.

In Luke 2:21, the Lord named His Son Jesus BEFORE He was even conceived!!! To God, the unconceived child is already an existing being. He sees beyond the early days of conception or late-term development; He views a child as an existing entity even before conception. Now, isn't that something?

Consider the story of the prophet Jeremiah too:

“The word of the LORD came to me, saying, ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.'” – Jeremiah 1:4-5

Shall I say it again? “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you!” Who forms the baby in the womb? God. “Before I formed you.” When you abort a baby, you are interrupting this miracle in progress. You are interfering with God as He forms a life inside the womb! Can you imagine entering the workshop of an artist, destroying the painting he just started creating, and convincing him to be comforted because his artwork is just in the beginning of it? You would be in jail. No one accepts that under any justification, it is still a destruction. Now what about lives, human beings, who are more than a piece of art in a workshop?

God regarded both Jesus and Jeremiah as existing beings even before they were conceived. Not only that, He had a destiny and calling planned for each of them! Isn’t that incredible?

So, if you are still attempting to reason or rationalize that abortion is not an act of killing at any phase of conception, remember that, in God's eyes, it goes beyond conception itself!

Stop deceiving yourself: “You shall not kill.”

I understand the “compassionate” justifications, like suggesting a woman should abort the baby if it is the result of rape. We all feel compassion and sorrow for raped women, but aborting a baby is still an act of killing—a crime.

Instead of taking a shortcut and acting out of anger on an innocent being who is now in the process of being formed and is not at fault, we need to seek deeper solutions. I am not here to provide those solutions, but perhaps you can share some ideas in the comments below.

For instance, what if the government funded the upbringing of this child and covered all the expenses? What if the child could be given up for adoption at birth? What if the baby could be transferred to the womb of a woman who longs for a child? IF WE ARE COMMITTED TO NOT KILLING, WE CAN DEFINITELY THINK OF SOMETHING THAT CAN EASE THE SITUATION AND SAVE THESE PRECIOUS BABIES THAT ARE FULLY FORMED BEFORE GOD EVEN BEFORE CONCEPTION.

Feel free to share this article with your church, a friend who may be misled, or even a politician still debating when to legalize the killing of a baby.

Leave your comment below or maybe your prayer!

God bless you,
Tony Francis

Prophetic Word For Year 5785/2025: Witchcraft Control & Wealth Transfer

On Wednesday, October 2nd, 2024, we start a new biblical year with the Lord, 5785.

I want to remind you that 5784 (2024) was marked as a “Kingdom Era” and the “Gates of Glory.” 5784 focused on the power of our voices in spiritual warfare to open doors of blessing and invite God's presence, as highlighted in Psalm 24. We were encouraged to be vigilant in our faith declarations to experience a new phase of revival and Kingdom authority. (Link to article). I experienced new gates of glory in my attitude, the fruit of the Spirit, and a new authority in my personal life and ministry. Have you?

As for 5785/2025, this is what I believe the Holy Spirit is showing me. The reason God reveals these things to us is that He is the Spirit of Truth, who reveals things to come to help us discern times and seasons and do something about it for His glory and to serve the earth better. I mention this because some approach prophetic words like horoscopes or in a psychic mode, thereby contaminating what is holy.

We prophesy in part, and this is what I see coming:

In 5785/2025, the spirit of control will continue escalating. It is beyond what we see and whom we blame! People are just vessels to an invisible will or wills. We think we are in control, and we are to some extent, yet the spiritual realm is involved all the time, with the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness at hand. So, it goes beyond governments, laws, or platforms of authority; it is a spirit of control, which is witchcraft.

From the beginning of time, there has been God, who partners with man through his FREE WILL and faith, and there is the devil, who oppresses and forces things upon us, which is the nature of the spirit of witchcraft. To illustrate this, let me explain what witchcraft is by nature. (Watch my free masterclass on witchcraft)

Witchcraft in its highest form is a force that blocks truth or the knowledge of God's truth by oppressing man's free will and subduing it to agree with it to allow it into the earth.

When someone goes to a witch or psychic asking them to put a spell on someone to MAKE THEM fall in love, this is witchcraft. Where is that person's free will? Now demons are involved to oppress this person against their free will. That person can still choose, but they are now under oppression, feeling they have no other choice but to love. The one casting the spell is also deceived and foolish. I would never want someone to be forced to love me; that isn't true love! True love is a communication of one's free will, like JESUS, who freely loves us and invites us to love Him back willingly!

After explaining a bit about the spirit of control and witchcraft, let's go back to the word of the Lord for 5785/2025.

The spirit of control will escalate!!! You can call it government, laws, technology, etc., but it is a spiritual war. Control is exercised by threatening a person's assets and provisions. Lebanon went through this and is still experiencing it! No Lebanese can access their funds in the banks. This is not due to a legal restriction or protecting our economy from an instant crash upon withdrawal; it is witchcraft in action—it is illegal and unjust!

This year, we will witness an escalation of this controlling spirit and the unlocking of more depths and hierarchies of these spirits of control. Where is the good news? Glad you asked. It is in the title of this word: “Wealth Transfer.”

It is a year for wealth transfer! But it will be established after a battle. God commanded the Egyptians to give back and more to His people everything they needed to leave slavery and worship Him in the wilderness. I'd rather worship the Lord in a wilderness with less than be a slave in Babel.

God wants to release wealth to His people, but He has at the top of His list those who are ready to worship Him with these assets and treasures. You may receive some too, because He loves you! But God wants to entrust His worshipers with wealth to advance His Kingdom on earth.

Those not in covenant with God will experience the suffering and oppression of the spirit of control. Let's also remember (BECAUSE WE WON'T FORGET, though we forgive) how they forced everyone to take the COVID-19 vaccines (I didn't). Control is the mark of the beast! That was not a preventive approach or precaution to save humanity though we thank them for their love, care, and efforts; but it was a spirit of control/witchcraft. That was witchcraft in the health area. This year, it could manifest in other realms and areas too! Be watchful.

If you belong to the Lord, He is your economy, and you are not under the oppression of the spirit of witchcraft. God will even use you to break this oppression off of others. So, let's say you are a Christian banker: be just, even if it costs you, for God will bless you back! Freedom is costly, and serving others in the goodness of the Lord is too!

You can pray about this prophetic word and position yourself now to take authority over what is coming, not out of fear, but out of faith and discernment of times and seasons. You can mark your soul, body, health, assets, family, house, cars, job, etc., as the Lord's and not for the spirit of control.

God is greater, and His glory on you shall be seen in the coming gross darkness. Let’s escalate in His glorious freedom as we advance in the end times and keep reaching out to a dying world crying for the Savior. Preach, Church!

We appreciate your sowing into us for this year. You never go wrong by sowing intentionally to the Lord and this ministry, declaring that you honor the Lord with your finances, and that money is not an idol for you; it is not your source—God is. Thanks for your generous sowing! You can sow prophetically too and have fun creatively by playing with numbers 57.85, 578.5, 20.25, or 202.5 or more.

Yes, I want to sow now!

You can also request the year prophetic word for 5785/2025 or your birthday year too, and we will pray for you and send you the word of the Lord.

Yes, Prophesy For Me Please.

Happy Blessed New Year in the Lord, y’all!
Tony Francis

Porn is an “I Don’t Care” Spirit

It always intrigued me when I read in Hebrews 12:16-17 that the Holy Spirit put the careless act of Esau, who sold his birthright for red stew, and sexual immorality in one verse!

“See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done.” Hebrews 12:16-17 (NIV)

In Genesis 25, Jacob asked his brother to sell him his birthright, and this is the mindset of carelessness and godlessness that Esau was entertaining that cost him everything. Esau said to his brother in response to this meal exchange:

“Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?”

Let's examine closely if this mindset is true or a lie. Was Esau going to die? Not at all, he was just famished and was around a prepared aromatic meal. Plus, Esau is a hunter. It was never the pressure of dying that drove him to sell his birthright; he detested it from the beginning. It meant nothing to him, and an opportunity like that exposed what was already in his heart! But we like to blame God.

Wow, Hebrews 12:16-17 is some verse: “See that no one is sexually immoral or is godless like Esau who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.”

The Holy Spirit considers sexual immorality the same as carelessness. Porn is an “I don't care” spirit, give me the desires of my heart right now. We also give it excuses: I am stressed, I was abused, those are my hormones, I am dying anyway, everybody is living this lifestyle, God will keep forgiving me because “I'm weak,” you name it. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you name the sinful desires of your heart. Why are you doing what you are doing? For Esau, he detested his birthright; it meant nothing to him from the beginning. When you are tempted sexually, what mindset is legalizing this to you?

Porn is this careless spirit. I don't care if I get naked with a stranger or just see this erotic movie, imagine wrong things, submit my organs to uncleanness, or consider other bodies as cheap and available to me if I want them.

Porn is an “I don't care” spirit. Just one more masturbation, it won't hurt, it is not the end of the world. Just one more one-night stand, I am a man, God understands this. What lie are you entertaining? What are the roots of your carelessness toward God, your own body, and others?

“For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done” (Romans 1:21-28).

It is always about an exchange!!!

Esau exchanged the highest glory for a lesser one, filling his stomach, and maybe, as the scripture says, their bellies are their gods. Maybe that was Esau's god! We all face exchanges, especially under pressure; when you are facing them, what is going on really? Are you aware that you are selling the Holy for the unclean, Jesus for 30 pieces of silver?

One more thing that caught my attention reading Romans 1 is that sexual immorality is called lust, but when it is a gay activity, it adds the word shameful lust to it. Shame is added! You are not for shame but for glory in Jesus' name.

I trust the Holy Spirit, who can sanctify you—spirit, soul, and body! You shall know YOUR truth, and it shall set you free.

Porn is an altar of worship; it is where you offer the expensive you cherish most. What are you offering each time you lust? And remember, being tempted with it is not wrong until you embrace the sin. Jesus was tempted with everything without sin. But when you lust and engage in sexual immorality and shameful activities of lust, what are you manifesting? Where your treasure is, there your heart will be!

I've discovered so far in the realm of the soul that freedom is very tied to knowing the truth of the matter. It is not just a prayer away. The Holy Spirit will journey with you to remove the grave clothes you are wearing because you are a son and daughter of life.

Don't give up because today you are in a place of progress, even though it doesn't feel like the fullness of your breakthrough yet. You are advancing. I am trusting God that your body will become a holy living sacrifice for him and nothing else.

You will come to a place of fearing God and knowing and WANTING him and his things more than any other thing in life!

Tell the “I don't care” spirit, I DO CARE! Live worthy.

God bless you,
Tony Francis

Leave your opinion below and if you need a prayer for this or a loved one. Share this article, please!

Blessings and Battles: My 40th Unexpected Birthday Experience

Many of you know by now that on June 7th, 2024, I turned 40. Yay! I just finished a decade and started a new one in the Lord. I wasn’t going to make a big deal out of my birthday, but I felt it was a big deal to end a decade, especially when it was loaded with challenges, sicknesses, and many lessons, and start a fresh new one. God celebrates us daily, monthly, yearly, and decade-wise. He cherishes our time on earth and considers it a valuable asset for His glory. I know a birthday is precious because it reminds us of God creating us, but I always thank the Lord for my second birth 20 years ago! Both are important.

So, my birthday is on June 7th, and this time it fell on a Friday, which is a Sabbath, entering the rest of God. Also, 7 means completion, and turning 40 is meaningful because it is the number of ending a wilderness, and it feels like that. Not only that, the month of Sivan 5784 started on my birthday!

The Lord has been talking to me a lot about rest and entering my promised land, and I couldn't wait for a fresh new beginning in the Lord. As many of you saw, I even created a webpage declaring and prophesying all those goodies. You can still leave me a birthday prayer there and enjoy my gifts for you. (Click here)

Friday came, June 7th arrived, and I NEVER expected that instead of experiencing the goodness of the Lord and the promised rest and freshness, waves of demonic temptations would bombard me. Oh my God, pressure from every side, sexual temptations, oppression, ups and downs, swirling emotions, and even the strong feeling of going back to Egypt, my place of bondage. My soul was in agony, confused, asking the Lord what was going on. I even told Him, “This is not real because I feel like 20 years of being on the potter's wheel feels like a waste.” Wow! What is going on, Lord?

I forgot that a new beginning and new levels are a threat to Satan. Forgot! I, who teaches the Bible and about the ways in the Spirit, was caught off guard. The devil was at the gate of this NEWNESS of Life to abort it and destroy it. To discourage me and compel me to hate it and expect nothing but death, pain, and curses.

Please read this carefully because you will learn something powerful here:

I am a free man. Not that I won't be tempted anymore—everyone will—but it took me years to establish my transformation and freedom in my character and mind, especially in my places of bondage. I greatly appreciate my freedom because sin was never fun and will never be. It was a tormenting cycle! Pleasant to the eye and feelings but deadly when you partake of it. This is how sin works! Remember when we all fell in Eden?

So when you feel a sudden urge to go back to Egypt after years of freedom and enjoying your transformation, KNOW that there is a demonic presence and oppression here because it doesn't make sense why there is this strong stirring in you to do something this strong you forgot about, prayed over with tears for long, went to conferences for freedom, read the books, rebuked the devils, etc. So when it is a sudden urge, discern that there is a demonic activity. But if you are still in your journey toward freedom, know that you still have strongholds and wrong mindsets that are not yet touched by the Lord or renewed. So it is natural to feel frequent desires to sin. Those urges can sometimes be demonic but not necessarily. It is mainly because you are not there yet and your flesh is still active.

This was not the case on my birthday—three days of oppression, entertaining sin, and old behaviors. Sometimes I made it, sometimes I couldn't. I never experienced a level of oppression like that before.

Why am I sharing my vulnerability with you here? Because many of you are and will start a fresh NEW strong beginning for the glory of the Lord, and the devil is at the door, not just the Lord. You need to be aware of this, be watchful in prayer, and seek help, intercession, and a faith community to take out your giants.

We all want to enter the promised land, but no one wants to confront the giants. I was focusing on my promised land and forgot giants were waiting for me. But greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. Even though you go through battles, the final say is the Lord's. Remember that the dragon is WAITING for the woman to give birth to kill the baby(Revelation 12) and tried his best and caused lots of trouble, yet we have read the last chapter and Jesus wins!

Don't feel discouraged because with God things will get better and right on track if you keep pressing in. I am writing you this in the belly of the whale, knowing that any moment now, with your prayers, love, support, and giving, I will experience resurrection life and power because it is my portion and yours in Christ.

God bless you,
Tony Francis

We'd love to hear from you! Share your experiences, new beginnings, and thoughts in the comment section below.

Overcoming Drug Addiction

Are you enslaved or troubled by habitual use of various narcotic, stimulant, or mind-influencing drugs (including alcohol)? Do you have symptoms of physical, emotional, or mental addiction? You may not have a sickness, but a sin problem that causes enslavement and sickness.

Jesus Christ has done something about your problem. He came to liberate you from such problems and enable you to gain self-control, a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22,23).

What Scripture Says

Everything is permissible for me — but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible for me — but I will not be mastered by anything” (I Corinthians 6:12).

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18).

The Spirit of the Lord is on me because He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. Then He rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on Him, and He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” All the people were amazed and said to each other, “What is this teaching? With authority and power, He gives orders to evil spirits and they come out (Luke 4:18-21, 36).

And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross (Colossians 2:15).

He who does what is sinful is of the devil because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work (I John 3:8).

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature, rather, serve one another in love (Galatians 5:1, 13).

What Can You Do?

Take seriously the bondage in which you are involved. God cares about you and has a solution.

Your real problem is not an incurable illness, but sin. And Jesus came to deal with sin (I Corinthians 5:11). You need to be spiritually reborn and baptized with the Holy Spirit. You need to change your life patterns. You also may need help for deliverance from drugs and healing.

Be bold. Take a fearless inventory of your life. Ask for help from your family, Christian friends, a local pastor, The 700 Club (call 800-759-0700), or another Christian ministry that cares. Or call Teen Challenge or a local drug hotline.

It is said that it takes thirty-one days to break a habit. Drug addiction is a “life dominating” problem, so radical changes must be made regarding associates, social atmosphere, places frequented, etc. Replacement, not abstention, is the key.

You need to keep busy and occupy your mind with new things (Philippians 4:8,9). Learn to yield yourself to Christ rather than to drugs, old friends, self-pity, guilt, fear, etc.

How to be Spiritually Reborn

God has a plan for your salvation. Call on the Lord to save you mind, body and soul (I John 1:9). Receive Him as your Savior and Lord (John 1:12). Believe Him. He said He would not turn anyone away. He loves you and gave His life for you (John 3:16,17).

How you can know you are forgiven:

The Bible, God's Word says:

You were saved by faith in God, who treats us much better than we deserve. This is God's gift to you, and you have done nothing on your own (Ephesians 2:8).

For those who put their faith in Jesus: He gave them the right to be the children of God… God Himself was the one who made them His children (John 1:12-13).

The Role of the Holy Spirit

Once you become a Christian, you can have God's power available through the Holy Spirit. You will be able to live as God intended (Ezekiel 36:27). The Holy Spirit empowers you to help others (Acts 1:8), He aids and teaches you (John 14:26; I Corinthians 2:13), and guides you into truth (John 16:13) and in life (Acts 10:19; 13:2; 16:6).

You may want to ask someone already baptized with the Holy Spirit to pray with you. Just as you asked the Lord to forgive your sins, believing He would, ask Him now to baptize you with the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13). He promised to do so, so take Him at His Word that He does what you ask. Thank and praise Him for being a God who does as He promises.

Tell someone else what you've done. Other Christians and the church will rejoice with you and help you. The angels rejoice with you. God rejoices with you.

As You Pray

Thank God for His love, concern, and power to save and deliver. Renounce the drugs, old friends, and hangouts connected with your drug problem. Yield yourself to Jesus. Thank Him for coming into your heart and filling you with the Holy Spirit. Take Him at His word and thank Him for delivering you from drugs.

The Shocking Truths About Porn

Sex is godly; porn is not.

I am not an alien writing to expose the shocking truth about porn; I know what I am talking about. You have suffered from it, and I did, or maybe you are still struggling with it. There is HOPE! What do I mean by sex is godly, and porn is not? Sex is a GOD idea, and he designed it as a means to serve intimacy with couples of covenant, the married people, and for the multiplication of God's love from one generation to another. Porn is the devil's means to pervert all that is holy, pure, and powerful.

For every sound truth doctrine, there is a demonic doctrine to match. Spiritual warfare is about that, creating an opposite doctrine to a godly one. Jesus said about the devil that he is a liar and the father of liars, and he kills humans with a lie. Many things in my life died and got twisted because of demonic lies: my identity, dreams, personality, relationship with the Lord, and every other thing that God meant to be GOOD for me. The devil can't create; he is not a creator, but he can appear as an Angel of light to deceive, to push you away from the truth. You never know if it is a lie because it sounds LIGHT, kind thought, pleasant experience, freedom of choice, acceptance of the rejected, etc. The devil doesn't only present his thoughts as “life-giving” but he raises prophets of the dark to change the wordings of sin to draw you and hook you for example it is not the killing of infants, it is abortion; it is not homosexuality but gay, and the word in Arabic for homosexuality means twisted but was also changed to same-sex attraction; also sex before marriage is not adultery but making love and on. Why do you think the devil invested strongly in changing the wording of all those words? Because it works. “He appears as an Angel of light.”

I was introduced to porn when I was a teenager. I was pure like a white snowball until my friend from school exposed me to it through the internet. The internet at that time was primitive but it was there and at my house. I remember going through trauma when my friend introduced me to porn websites. I forgave him a long time ago!

Seeing gay activities and lesbians and straight sex was too much for me. It never crossed my mind that there is something like that and that we have the potential to taste those experiences. I felt the shattering of my innocence! I was not transitioned into the subject of sex in my life but was introduced to it instantly and in the most unclean ways. The enemy knows about the power of trauma and how it creates a landing strip for slavery, addictions, and the demonic. I went into denial at first for some time, and after a while, I was drawn to start navigating porn websites on my own at night when everyone in my family slept.

You can't feed a beast without unleashing it to go for a hunt. As I kept feeding myself uncleanness ritually and regularly, I felt the craving and the groaning to be in the experiences I was watching. I wanted all my senses to endure that. So I moved from porn (the doctrine feeding) to boldness (the practice). Real-life fornication was never as ideal and good as the websites. So you become hooked on two realities, and you become addicted to online porn and your ongoing real-life attempts to match the professional porn stars, and you never make it. So you spiral down into disappointments and addictions to the deceiving lying web of porn.

I am not going to teach the spiritual aspects of what happens when you enter into dark unclean covenants with others. You can study the Bible and learn more about that. Nor will I mention why porn hooks us at the psychological level; you can research that too.

Porn and dishonoring your body and the one who made it is all about the spirit of rebellion.

Everything that is not a God covenant is rebellion because God is a God of Covenant. Breaking laws at your job has nothing to do with your detest of your job because they don't honor you or pay you enough, etc it is about the spirit of rebellion finding reasoning and an argument to make sense of it and birth itself. Everything man does is a hidden rebellion at its core. Sex “making love” outside of the marriage covenant is rebellion. You see, it is not just about the devil but also about your untamed rebellious nature. They both work together. Even if there is NO DEVIL feeding it and awakening it with deception, your rebellion will find a way one day to awaken itself.

“For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts.” Romans 1:21-26

“And worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised.” Rebellion is all about self-worship, and the only way to be free from yourself is to fall in love with Jesus and worship him.

The more you grow in his love and worship, all the unclean byproducts of the spirit of rebellion lose their grip on you and fade away. Don't focus on your deliverance; put all your energy and frustration into loving Jesus and worshiping him. This is how you subdue rebellion and shatter self-worship!

Thank you, Jesus, because you found a way out of my porn addiction and adultery by drawing me to a life journey of ongoing ecstatic worship of your glorious love for me. Amen!

For those who are still going through it, I humbly advise you: FIX YOUR WORSHIP, NOT YOUR DESIRES.

God bless you
Tony Francis

There Is No Going Around, We Must Go Through!

I had an interesting conversation the other day with my niece and namesake Cheryl (who we call Tulla.)We were talking about life and the things that happen to get us “tied up”, by our own mistakes, sometimes by adverse results of other’s choices and sometimes just by events that happen that are out of our control but still they have the same affect of making us stuck in life.

Tulla and I both love to crochet, (although she is much better at it than I am), her mom (my sister) Diane taught me when I was round 13 years old.

So in our conversation I thought the analogy of yarn seemed to be fitting as I compared our lives to a long strand of yarn, stretching from one end to another. Along the way, there are the inevitable knots that occur, sometimes just one; usually from trying to go too fast or not paying close enough attention to our stitches, but those are easy to fix. Other times there can become a cluster of knots that seem to come from out of nowhere and these are not so easy to fix as they often seem to take on a life of their own, and can be more than frustrating.

We both laughed as we identified with the fact that we could spend hours, even days, trying to loosen, unravel and untie this mess and sometimes the harder we would work at unraveling it, the more the knotted mess would mysteriously grow. The point I was making was that the beginning and the end are distinct and no matter how many knots occur along the way we still end up where God had intended us to be, sometimes despite the knots and sometimes because of them. This reminded me of one of my favorite scriptures in the bible Genesis 50:20, “what was intended for evil, (or to harm me) God will use for good.”

Tulla then said something that really struck us both “yes, and there is only one way to fix the knot, you have to go back through the way you came” there is no other way!” Exactly! I replied!

I sat in silence for a second as I thought about the depth of what she had just said and then she followed up with something we had heard her mom say countless times “there is no way around; only through” referring to going through difficult situations and problems in life. This felt like a very profound moment, almost as if we had uncovered the answer to some mysterious riddle.

I’ve continued to contemplate this and realized that as we journey along the path of life, our disobedience and mistakes can cause knots along the way, tangling up the yarn and diverting us from God's intended path…momentarily. But rest assured there is nothing that takes God by surprise!

When we find ourselves off course, entangled in the mess of our choices or mistakes, it is essential to recognize that we need to go back the way we came. This is what I refer to as “Full Circle Moments” in life where we are given grace and wisdom to untangle our mess.

Just as we patiently and carefully untangle a knot in a ball of yarn, we must retrace our steps, seeking forgiveness, making amends, and realigning ourselves with God's will.

Sometimes, untangling the knots requires humility, as we acknowledge our mistakes and take responsibility for our actions. It may involve seeking forgiveness from others or making difficult decisions to rectify the consequences of our disobedience. Just as we gently pull and separate the strands of yarn to untangle a knot, we must be willing to address the issues that caused the entanglement in our lives.

As we untangle the knots, we gradually find ourselves back on the right path, where we were meant to be. It is a process that requires patience, perseverance, and a willingness to learn from our mistakes. We may need to seek guidance from God's Word, prayer, and wise counsel to navigate through the complexities of untangling our lives.

Ultimately, as we untangle the knots and realign ourselves with God's will, we begin to experience the freedom, peace, and purpose that come from being in the right place once the course correction has taken place. We discover that God's grace is sufficient to redeem our mistakes and turn them into opportunities for growth and transformation.

Just as the untangled yarn becomes a smooth, unbroken strand, our lives can be restored and aligned with God's perfect plan. The journey of untangling the knots reminds us of God's faithfulness, His willingness to guide us back on track, and His ability to use even our disobedience and mistakes for our ultimate good.

I am praying that we will all embrace the process of untangling the knots, trusting that God's loving hands are at work, leading us back to the center of His will, where we can experience His abundant blessings and fulfill the purpose He has for our lives.

Changing the Culture of the Spheres of Influence through the Beatitudes

Changing the Culture of the Spheres of Influence through the Beatitudes y Lilian Schmid – Strategist and Prayer Coordinator for The Prayer Strategy Spheres of Influence International 

Introduction

How can we use Jesus’ Command to “love one another” (John 13:33-34) change the 21st century culture which is affected by sin: every sphere of influence in our society has been corrupted and affected by the ungodly activities which are operating to destroy humanity. Modern life has become multi-faceted and hectic with the following spheres/domains dominating and competing for ours and our families' time, money, affections and ambitions. These spheres or domains are:

  • Business and Finance
  • Government and the Military
  • Law and Justice
  • Faith and Philosophy
  • Creative Arts
  • Education
  • Charity and Not for Profit Welfare
  • Health and Science
  • Media and Entertainment
  • Sport and Recreation

In the Old Testament God promised to mend that which had been lost in the Fall by reinstituting peace on earth. Through Ezekiel, the Lord looked forward to such restoration for his people:

“And I will make a covenant of peace with them, an everlasting covenant. I will give them their land and multiply them, and I will put my Temple among them forever. I will make my home among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people.” (Ezek 37:26-27).

Peace will come by God’s effort. The result will be material blessing and, most importantly, a mended relationship between people and God. The prophet Isaiah brought a message similar to that of Ezekiel: How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns” (Isa 52:7).  God’s peace is integrally related to his salvation, to the restoration of his reign on earth. When God saves, he will restore his kingdom so that those who live under his rightful rule will experience the fullness of his peace.

Jesus entered the world as the one who would fulfil the mission of the Suffering Servant, thus bringing divine peace. Even before Jesus was born, one of his relatives proclaimed what God was about to do: “By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:78-79)

How the Beatitudes will Bring Change to the Spheres of Influence in Our Society

“The beatitudes reveal to us eight qualities that bring God's blessing: meekness and mercy, poorness in spirit and purity of heart, mourning and hunger, peacemaking and persecution. Jesus highlighted these to offer both encouragement and instruction on living distinctly as his followers in a world with values much different from God's. As we study these qualities and integrate them into our lives, we will receive the blessing Jesus promised to his followers then and now”.
(The Beatitudes: Developing Spiritual Character by John R.W. Stott)

Looking at the Beatitudes as a kind of ladder, an ascent, we can discover some amazing things about spirituality and its fundamental relationship to the world. The Beatitudes have intense significance in a world where many Christians want to change others and the world from the top down, through forced conformity rather than genuine conversion. The Beatitudes are the essence, the lifeblood and beating heart of authentic, ancient and living Christianity. They are (from Mt 5:3-10):

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.

Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

The Beatitudes express the idea that peace comes from peacemakers who are characterised by their poverty of spirit, their ability to mourn for the world, their lack of attachments or clinging to personal rights, their hunger for the healing of the world, their extreme mercy extended even towards their worst enemies, and their purity of heart. Peacemakers, according to Christ, are the instruments who bring peace to the world because they exemplify these characteristics. Change comes from the inside and moves towards the external. Peacemakers are persecuted because they present a challenge to authority which compels from the outside but cannot penetrate the interior.

Jesus' Sermon on the Mount begins by talking about the kingdom of heaven. A kingdom has a king, subjects, a place, and the ways of the king and his kingdom. It is where this particular king is reigning. So when Jesus teaches, He is not just advocating rules or giving advice. He is talking about a place or, more accurately, a realm where the ruler is God. And what is God’s kingdom like? What is God like as a king? Who are His subjects? And what are the ways of God? You can see that Jesus speaks about all these things in the Beatitudes. We learn about who the subjects of this kingdom are: the poor in spirit, those who mourn, etc. The true King of this universe is the One who gives the kingdom, who comforts, gives the earth to His children, and so on. Jesus is telling them about the wonder and goodness of living under the reign of God. The creator of this universe is the king of every sphere of influence, Jesus is the author of these spheres and we are the witnesses to bring real changes into them by proclaiming God’s kingdom on each one of them.

How the Kingdom will manifest its Power in the Spheres

First of all Jesus is speaking about the kingdom as a present and future reality. We can truly possess the kingdom of heaven here and now on the earth. We can enjoy the truth of this at least to some extent. The people of the kingdom are blessed. The word “blessed” always implies that the one doing the blessing is God. To be blessed is to be favoured or honoured by God. “Blessed” is a passive term. The one who is blessed is receiving from God His notice and favour. We can bring blessing to others that we meet within our sphere of influence.

So who are those who are blessed in the kingdom of heaven? And why are they blessed? In looking over the Beatitudes, we are immediately struck that Jesus is saying the unexpected, to say the least! The qualities of the blessed on Jesus’ teaching are not at all what we think of when we consider those we believe to be blessed.

To be blessed is to have value as human beings from our (Government), to have good health (Health and Science), to be secure and protected (Law and Justice), have great success in one’s endeavours (Business), creative and artistic (Arts), athletic (Sport and Recreation), freedom of speech and ideas (Faith and Philosophy), rich in Knowledge (Education), helping others in need to live (Charity and Not For Profit Welfare), spreading Christian values through technology (Media). These are the qualities we tend to associate with being blessed.

Jesus brings a new dimension to human life through the Sermon on the Mount. In the Beatitudes he teaches us the quality of life that we are hungry for. Every sphere of influence needs these kingdom qualities to be proclaimed in them. The qualities He includes are actually what we would normally consider indications of someone not being blessed! The person who we naturally think is blessed is favoured to have the kingdom of heaven now and a future fullness in comfort, inheritance, satisfaction, mercy, etc. The blessing then that these people receive is not to be poor in spirit, mourning, or meek. Rather, the presence of these qualities is thought to be a sign that the person is not cursed, but actually blessed. Paradoxically in Jesus teaching one can be called blessed when they are poor in spirit because being poor in spirit is a sign that she/he is looking for the very thing God the King is giving: His kingdom. You can see that there is a connection in the message of Jesus between the person who is blessed and why they are blessed, where every person who is a witness to Christ in the Marketplace can bring a blessing to these domains or spheres.

God our King desires indeed to bless us, to bless our families, our church, our work. Through our mission we can transform our society by applying the teaching of the Beatitudes through each one of us. We can be a part of bringing the reality of the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven. To understand that to be blessed here and now is to find we are being made ready to receive all these things forever.

Jesus is telling us about His kingdom. We see that God greatly desires to bless His people in a full and complete way. God is not going to give sparingly – just some comfort, or a small inheritance. And what God is doing in His people now, when He is blessing them, is that He is making them able more and more to hope in, receive, long for, the very riches He is giving. If we are in Christ we are a new creation: “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Co 5:17).

So as blessed people:

  • Let us be rich in God’s Kingdom who is the provider of all richness in this wor Colossians 3:16
  • Let us be comforted to be free, Jesus gave us freedom the moment he gave his life on the cross. Galatians 3:1-14
  • Let us inherit the earth because we are sons and daughter of God’s Kingdom. Psalm 2:7
  • Let us be righteous and let God’s light shine through us. Matthew 5:14
  • Let us receive mercy and grace, and be merciful to others Matthew 8:14-17
  • Let us have Jesus’ heart and receive His unconditional love to love others as He loved us. John 3:16
  • Let us be peacemakers and bring unity across the body. John 13:35
  • Let us handle persecution with perseverance; then we may understand the fullness of God’s mercy and grace. John 25:20

Amen.

Pushing Forth Your Transformation

As many of you know by now that seeing in the spirit is one of God's ways to help us renew our minds, give us direction, and connect to the reality of spiritual substances and beings. The devil uses God's ways too in order for him to be effective in spiritual warfare! That's why your mind is the battlefield and the battleground for both realms, the Kingdom of Light and the kingdom of darkness. God wants to wage war too with your way of thinking and how you see things in the eyes of implanted doctrines in you. God wants you to be conformed into the image of his glorious Son Jesus Christ and the enemy wants you to be like him. Your identity is at war!

“But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate[a] the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:15-17

That's why the word of God commands us to TAKE CAPTIVE EVERY THOUGHT TO THE OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST, wow every thought man, that's lots of work. Yes, it may be lots of work but because it is critical and dangerous we need to stay alert. Why? Because if you allow the thief to just come in for one time only, you will regret your whole life later. One moment of apathy can cause you a lifetime of sorrow and regret. That's why not everyone will be a hero of faith because not everyone wants to live the life of heroes. What if David the shepherd spared the bear and the lion once? NO MORE FLOCK, end of his business. Take captive every thought for God's sake because what you will tolerate, you are sleeping with and you will bear its fruits, good or bad.

Seeing visions in your mind is so powerful, God knows that and so does the enemy. Man's fall started by seeing and meditating on the wrong vision. Eve SAW that the fruit of the forbidden tree was so delicious and appealing. Job made a covenant with his eyes not to fornicate in his mind with a virgin by looking at her and lusting over her. Visions are a gateway of access for life or death, for light or darkness, for blessing or curse. You choose, I choose, we choose!

Seeing visions can be a detailed topic and can cover many categories. I only want to target in this devotion the powerful tool of inner visions that I call the scenarios of the mind and how to master those and subdue them for the glory of the Lord. I want you to be seasoned in this, be aware of it, and learn the ways of the Spirit. Your life is about to change right now!

I opened up to the concept of the importance of inner scenarios through this experience and that many of them happen because of a spiritual trigger in the spiritual realm.

One day after a Church meeting, my brother in the Lord and I decided to go visit another brother to have lunch with him and spend the day at his place. That brother we were going to visit that day was always welcoming and we never heard him say no to us, always welcoming. My friend was driving the car heading to that place and I was sitting next to him and on that day I was wearing an earring. As soon as we were close to his place, my mind drifted to a mind scenario for seconds, some call it daydreaming. I saw this man we were going to visit that day looking at me and rejecting me and saying you're not welcome here because you are wearing an earring, that was it! I felt that this played scenario in my mind meant something but didn't know what was it all about, plus it was my first encounter with this understanding. I didn't tell my driving friend anything but in less than a minute, my friend's phone rang and it was the man calling him and rejecting our visit last minute. No!!! We were almost there. So we head back to our homes!

Let me unpack to you what happened here and I know your own scenarios will start making sense from now on. In that daydream, my spirit man was picking from the Holy Spirit a prophetic revelation for something to come which is the rejection of our visit. My weak mind and sometimes carnal was picking on truth in the spirit realm and translated this into my mind in the form of a scenario trying to tell me something. It was like a story but the main FOCUS AND HIGHLIGHT was “the man rejecting me” and of course, the earring in the scenario had nothing to do with it and that man didn't see me wearing an earring plus he is not like that. So the focus in this scenario was on the feeling of rejection of the visit. It is important to always follow Holy Spirit in our spiritual encounters and sense the focus and the highlight whether in our visions, dreams, bible reading, etc! From that day on, I started watching and paying attention to my daydreams because many of those happen in my mind because there is a spiritual trigger behind them in the spirit realm from God or the devil, and myself. It is important not to make every daydream important but be sensitive and master it with the Lord because that will change your life. It is a very powerful tool when there is really something playing.

Now that you know about this, I want to teach you how to push forth your transformation by going back into the spirit realm, in your mind, with Holy Spirit and altering the scenarios played. In my case, that daydream was forth telling me that our visit will not occur that day, so the type of this daydream was forth-telling and I can do nothing about it, just pick up the revelation and reveal it maybe. Other scenarios are an invitation for you to be Christlike or a sinner and they happen a LOT, every day.

For example, if the devil played in your mind a scenario that you will be crippled with chronic pain and showed you yourself as a patient in a hospital, with a pale face, surrounded by doctors and suffering pain and hopelessness, of course, if you are mature enough you know this is not God's will for you and you follow Holy Spirit on how to respond, capture the thought, reject and fight it. One of the ways of fighting back is PUSHING FORTH YOUR TRANSFORMATION by going back to that given sick scenario and MASTER it and changing it for your glory. This is binding the devil and plundering him. For instance, you can tell Holy Spirit, Lord let's go back to that scenario and shift it for my benefit, change the curse to a blessing. Here you follow the Lord, wait on him, and allow the creativity of the Holy Spirit to shift this to your blessing. Without talking, gently SEE how Holy Spirit alters this scenario for you, the Lord may replace the scene with the enemy stricken in the bed of affliction instead of you and you are watching and mocking him, or you may see yourself in that same hospital room doing a check-up and you hear in this scenario the doctor telling you wow you have a vibrant health and he has never seen someone like you before.

Let the Holy Spirit turn what was meant for evil to be for your good. Push forth from your spirit man the glorious transformation you want to see, and be INTENTIONAL by adding faith to it. It is awesome to pray God's promises, like “By his stripes, I am healed” but it is more powerful to SEE THE GOODNESS OF THE LORD IN THE LAND OF THE LIVING. See the promise, live the promise!

I pray this teaches you something today about the supernatural realm.

God bless you

Tony Francis