Tag Archive for: gospel

The Great Focus

I am busy these days purchasing some basic needs for my life. Looking for a better house, a good vehicle, a godly woman and other stuff as well. God loves your desires that are aligned with him and he is for you not against you. After all, he is a good Father and wants the best for you. He is with you in your purchases and wants to bless you with the best if you involve him and pay attention to his guidance.

This morning while I was spending time with God, he gently taught me something that changed my life. I want to share this precious nugget with you here. God taught me to have faith in the little things. Yep, this is it! Like believing for your next step, your next move, your next relationship, your next business deal, whatever this “next” is for you. It made sense to me! Like yeah, what if I believed for my next house? What if I opened an ongoing dialogue with God about each small step I am going to make regarding this? Believing for the little things is important to reach your big goals. Because sometimes seeing your final destination can be overwhelming if you don’t plan your way to it with small steps that lead you there.

Maybe you are familiar with the google map or any kind of map you use in your apps. You launch it, set the destination and you focus on following successfully the live tracking of each small direction. Man, it feels good when you see yourself passing all the suggested roads successfully because it gives you a sense of approaching your final destination! You can use this technology with God while you purchase your desires. Have faith in the little things like your next step. Make sure you are on the right track in each small step because sometimes one wrong direction can alter your whole course!

Joseph, the good man who fathered Jesus, believed in this technology. There is not much covered about him in the gospels but what he did was FOUNDATIONAL or we may have missed our redeeming Christ. Joseph in parenting Jesus was so focused on the sake of Jesus and what is best for him rather on what’s good for him and his wife Mary. Each step he made was faith-filled. It takes a great faith to believe that your future wife is a Holy Spirit pregnant. But here lies the power of KNOWING that you heard God! Thank God for his faith. He accepted to marry her, he ran with her to Egypt to protect the life of 2 years old Jesus, he stayed there and came back when he got the green light of grace to come back to Israel after the enemy wanting Jesus to die was dead. He was careful where to live and what to do to protect the life of Jesus entrusted to him, the savior of his people and the nations.

Jesus was the great focus of Joseph! He believed for a place for Jesus’s birth. In everything you read about Joseph, you find that he believed for the little things, for his next move. Because he knew that in doing so successfully, he is investing in the greater.

This perspective changed my faith focus! I was believing for my next house because I wanted a better one for ME. Now I am more focused on purchasing my desires with Jesus in my focus! God lives in me and each step I am going to make I want it to protect the Jesus within and allow him to grow perfectly. My questions now on will be such as: will my next move bless the Lord or will it expose him to dangers and threaten him? Will my next association and relationship preserve the life of Jesus within me or will it destroy it?

Now I know how to purchase my dream goals by having in me THE GREAT FOCUS, Jesus! Because when he is blessed, I am blessed!

Toni Francis

A Sinner In The Hands Of An Angry God

To be honest with you, I thought innocently that God of the Old Testament behaved differently than in the New Testament because the covenant changed. This doctrine, that I am sure you also heard, has convinced me skillfully not to say deceitfully! I didn’t argue with it I just let it pass but deep inside I was not feeling good about belonging to “A GOD WHO KILLED PEOPLE” for a while until a better covenant came to pass.

This morning the Lord led me to read a certain passage in the gospels and the understanding he unfolded to me changed the whole formula and introduced me to the real God. What you are about to read here will wowy you and it will for sure bibidi babidi bou you!

In Luke 9:51, James and John wanted to call fire down from heaven to consume the Samaritans who opposed the journey of Jesus to Jerusalem. They said to Jesus with a religious zeal, excitement and “feeling right about it” attitude: “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?”

Cool boys, I am happy and satisfied you wanted to be scriptural and never do a thing not backed up in the book of LIFE. Before proceeding I just want to throw this for free, is not it strange and weird to bring death out of the book of LIFE? James and John were right about two things: they were in a relationship with Jesus and they asked him if he would like to barbecue some Samaritan flesh because of opposition and second they knew that only God would command the fire to come down from heaven! No man can do that!

BUT … Elijah never called the fire down from heaven to consume the false prophets but to demonstrate that God is a living God and THAT fire consumed the ALTAR he built by the leading of the Holy Spirit. I don’t know if at that instant James and John forgot this IMPORTANT detail because they were religiously zealous and angry!

Once again, Elijah by the leading of the Holy Spirit called down fire from heaven on the altar and the Israelites who saw it were marveled and could have turned back to God if they had a chance to. But we will see that Elijah after this good glory demonstration didn’t give them any!

But He [Jesus] turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village.

Religion wants to barbecue people, Jesus wants to unbarbecue you! … After I read that, my eyes were opened and I said, hmmm wait a moment! If God sent the fire using Elijah to demonstrate his presence to turn his people back to him, then he must have told Elijah to kill them all after that. Because Elijah was a prophet and he must be led by Holy Spirit to kill them all and slaughter each, after all, we have been taught that God of the Old Testament can do that easily because of “THE AVAILABLE COVENANT” back then!

I am not here to defend God but my bible says that Jesus is the same today yesterday and forever. God’s nature doesn’t change according to James 1: 16-17 “Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every GOOD gift and every PERFECT gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” God is good and perfect and this will remain forever no matter how much doctrines will say differently with a religious zeal! Jesus is always about saving souls even in the Old Testament.

Could it be that Elijah started in the spirit and continued in the flesh? Why did Elijah killed the 850 false prophets and not gave them a chance to be God’s prophets? It was a very good potential opportunity that moment don’t you think? But it was lost forever because he got religiously excited!

To be honest with you I don’t know why Elijah killed them all but I am sure that Jesus doesn’t want a soul to be doomed but to be given chance after another to turn back to God! How many chances these false prophets were given to repent after that glorious demonstration? NONE.

In my opinion, Elijah started ministering good but got in the flesh. The Law of Moses commanded NOT TO KILL and it is a GOD GIVEN LAW. When you get religiously zealous, you want to add to the word of God or take from it. Elijah could have thought in himself, it is OK to kill them all “Exclusively”. Maybe because the Law of Moses at some point was confusing and unclear.

Bear with me to clarify this point with you please. Moses got the laws from God but after a while and because the Israelites were so hard and unbearable Moses ALLOWED things. At some point, leading very hard people drove Moses to permit some things to CONTROL the crowd under the name of GOD! But did God say that? In the beginning, no, GOD had clear laws, but later on, MOSES PERMITTED THINGS. No wonder why Elijah could have been confused.

They said to Him [Jesus], “Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?” He said to them, “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. Matthew 19

Moses permitted some laws beside the laws of God just to settle some issues to go have some good deep sleep. His church was a headache! BE TERRIFIED if you permit things that God’s nature doesn’t approve it.

Let’s wrap it. Yes, we read in the whole bible that the goodness of God issued some endings to wicked people and cities. So God in his sovereignty can terminate things. But in my opinion and understanding, God does this after he gives many chances because HE IS PATIENT, merciful and slow to anger. BUT when he finds that there is no more way to repent and that the cup of sin is full he takes some steps to demonstrate his goodness by cutting some things off. Doctors are good when they cut an infected organ in someone’s body if they know for sure there is no more option as hard as this is.

Did Elijah give chances to these false prophets? Was he long-suffering and patient with them? Let’s check our ministries if they are aligned with the nature of God or not.

Peter also got the “religious killing zeal” MODE ON for JESUS and dismembered the ear of an antichrist enemy in the garden of Gethsemane. Not knowing that Peter himself was an antichrist in this action. “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.

James, John, Peter, and Elijah were all zealous religiously and did things they thought approved by God. They were trying to show some love the best they knew how. It is not a devotion to disfavor God’s servants and their weaknesses, we are no better in many situations.

Bottom-line, Jesus shows his heart many times that he is for you not against you. He wants to save you and not destroy you. “Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?” Ezekiel 18:23.

You and I with a huge cloud of witnesses have misrepresented the true good nature of God at some point in our life. The Lord told me this morning: “When you understand my nature you read things right”. The Lord can forgive us all this mess and misrepresentation if we repent. God is always angry at sin not at sinners. Jesus was violent with sin issues and flipped the tables but never slapped anyone! Can we minister without chopping heads? Yes, it is possible if you know how loving God is!

A sinner in the hands of an angry God is the most beautiful experience at all. Because he lavishes you with his bounty goodness, unconditional love, many chances to be saved and redeemed to flourish beautifully before him for his glory. You will be undone by his beating heart for you! However, after experiencing his many goodness demonstrations if you decide to trample on the precious saving blood of Jesus and reject LIFE, whose fault is this?

Toni Francis

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

Manifestations – What do they mean?

By Kathie Walters

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Blessings

Kathie and David Walters
www.kathiewaltersministry.com

The Story of Rocky & Sandy

Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me. Teach me your way, O LORD; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors. (Psalms 27:10-11)

Rocky and Sandy were cute little children who spent most of their childhood time playing together in the neighborhood. Sandy was raised by wonderful parents who loved her so much and were so concerned to be the best parents to make her lack nothing. Although they were busy yet they always found quality time to spend with their little precious daughter. They played together, ate together, laughed together, brought her gifts and took her to the best school in town; they really did their best to take care of her to secure a wonderful childhood full of warm memories and feelings when she recalls it. Rocky was also raised in such a wonderful family too, his parents did also the same with him but within the frame of their spending of their time together, they taught him the word of God and his ways, they prayed together & they prayed for Rocky and not only with words they also modeled the gospel to him in their living and actions. They really invested in Rocky and set him in the safe boundaries of God’s word. Both Rocky & Sandy had a wonderful childhood and wonderful moms & dads.

Rocky and Sandy grew up healthy teenagers excited to embrace their journey of life and ready to explore the world but they both faced tough temptations which were so appealing, attracting & seducing. Rocky’s decisions were so firm and didn’t yield because the hidden word of God in him supported him along the way but Sandy couldn’t resist long and was lost in the world and great was her fall.

Jesus: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” (Matthew 7:24-27)

Now whose parenting endured? Whose parenting was successful? Parenting is a lot of sweat but it’s worth the hard work because true parenting isn’t meant to be for a short term but for a long term that stick to your children everywhere. Are you a short term or a long term parent? Will your parenting accompany your children and influence them to make godly decisions even when you aren’t there? In Psalms 27:10 David said that his parents forsake him and the Lord will receive him but why would David seek after God? The answer is in the next verse, God as a mother & a father receives David to teach him his way, his word to remain strong against his oppressors. A father and a mother’s first duty is to teach their children God’s ways which enable them to stand against the oppressors of life. It’s such a blessing to have spiritual parents who feed you the word of God but if you don’t have, God’s parenting for you is more than enough. Study all the scriptures and you will learn that this is God’s original design for parenting! Adopt it. “Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain” (Psalms 127:1)

 Glory to God
Tony Francis