Tag Archive for: king

The Latter Day Lukewarm Church

The church God established 2,000 years ago has once again managed to turn themselves into a corporate business structure in these last days, modeled after the world. With a degree in “Church Growth and Marketing” in hand, men have manipulated the church into some type of foreign entity, with goals of exorbitant salaries, lavish furnishings, and services geared towards herding a populous in through their doors so they may continue to fund their man-made plans. This isn't to say that nothing good has ever come from it, or that God can't or doesn't use them, but when man takes the reins of God's church and starts to devise his own plans, it loses the power and direction of the Holy Spirit and settles into nauseating carnality.

This my friends, is an abomination to God and He is about to put an abrupt end to those self serving plans. In fact, He has plans of His own, to replace many of the current leaders in the church with those He has been preparing behind the scenes for literally decades. Many of you who have felt out of touch with mainstream Christianity all of your lives, are now about to enter a time that God has ordained for you. Just when you thought you would never fit in, God is calling you to step out. The radical is about to become the normal. Those to whom God has prepared and filled with His Spirit are about to take center stage and disrupt “business as usual” of what we commonly refer to as mainstream Christianity. Gone will be the programs and ideas that man has invented to draw people into their plans. Sports teams will be funneled back into the secular world where they belong. Denominations will be dissolved. Multi-million dollar facilities that were built without God's approval, will soon be up for sale. Carnal men and women of God who have lavished themselves in a comfortable lifestyle of wealth and luxury, are soon going to find themselves looking for work while God restructures His church.

It is going to be a painful process, though a necessary one. Many will blame God for the reorganization, and some will fall away from the faith as a result, consequences of a Christian life not built upon the proper foundation. The process that is about to occur is no doubt going to be a difficult one, but God knows what He is doing and when He is finished, a different church is going to emerge. A church where unity shall be restored and where true discipleship is evidenced by those walking in power and a boldness unlike anything we have seen in our lifetime. Though despised by many, they shall go forth throughout the earth as radical, relentless, uncompromising, and unshakable disciples of Christ whom God has raised up to prepare the way for the coming of the Son of Man…

Jeff Allen

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit. What it is and Why You Need it?

Although all Christians are indwelt and sealed by the Holy Spirit at the time we were saved, (Ephesians 1:13) not all Christians are “filled,” or “baptized” with the Holy Spirit. I'm not speaking about water baptism here, so let me explain. There's a big difference in knowing Jesus Christ as your Savior so you can have the assurance of heaven one day, and yielding to Him as LORD in order to receive His power. God is looking for our “total surrender,” to His will and when we ask Christ to be our LORD as well as Savior, we are saying we want to yield completely to Him, which is His desire and will for our lives. (Romans 12:1)

When we confess and renounce all known sin and ask the Lord to fill us with His Holy Spirit, we can then experience His power to successfully live the Christian life. This is what's missing in the life of many believers today, His power, being filled with His Spirit. This will give you the strength and the ability you need to overcome all sin and bondage in your life. It will bring power, joy, and peace into your soul unlike anything you have ever experienced before, and it is available for anyone who truly seeks to follow Christ.

One of the greatest revivals in modern day history was the Asuza Street Revival. (1906-1915) The Baptism of the Holy Spirit was responsible for what occurred there. It is not commonly taught in most churches, so no doubt many of you have never heard of it. I know I hadn't, but when someone shared it with me many years ago, it was a game changer.

So, how do you become “filled” with the Holy Spirit? When you make Jesus Christ your LORD and are willing to “totally surrender” to His will. It is the very reason God created you in the first place, to know Him intimately and be filled with His Spirit. If you have been struggling in your Christian walk, if you lack peace and joy in your life, I encourage you to get alone with God, repent of your “self effort” of trying to live the Christian life, and ask Him to “fill” you with His Holy Spirit. His only requirement? To have a sincere heart and a willingness to follow Christ.

Here is a sample prayer that you can pray: Lord I come to you today seeking to know you better. I thank you for Jesus and that you have given me your Holy Spirit when I was first saved, but now I want to be filled with your Spirit so I may experience your power in my life. I realize I cannot live a Christian life on my own and I need your help. I repent and renounce all my sin to you and I want to make you my Lord, as well as my Savior. Please fill me with your Holy Spirit right now and give me the power I need to follow and obey you. Provide me with your peace and joy and make me the person you created me to be. In Jesus name, amen.

“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you.” (Acts 1:8)

Jeff Allen

The Heart is a Deceiver

My thoughts for today…
For much of my life, I’ve heard the expression “Follow your heart.” I’m guessing many of you have heard that same thing through the years. We have used that as a touchstone, a guiding light in the confusion of our lives. “What is your heart telling you?”, we ask when our friends are facing what may be a life-changing decision. “Listen to your heart – it always knows best.”
Famous people are often quoted on their insight into what the heart means to us, aside from its lifegiving job of getting blood around our body, that is.
Benjamin Franklin: “The heart of a fool is in his mouth, but the mouth of a wise man is in his heart.”
William Shakespeare: “Go to your bosom; knock there, and ask your heart what it doth know…”
Edward George Earle Bulwer-Lytton: “A good heart is better than all the heads in the world.”
Blaise Pascal: “The heart has reasons that reason cannot know.”
So, that’s what we do. When we are faced with decisions, we ask our heart. And, we listen to whatever we think it is telling us.
But, have we been led astray? The Bible tells us, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Isaiah 17:9)
So, which is it? Are we to follow our heart or not?
Perhaps that is why we are told in Ezekiel that the Father says, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 36:26), because He, our Creator, knows the malignancy that can exist in our hearts.
The answer is clear. The Bible also tells us “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21), so it becomes imperative that, instead of trusting some internal organ, we trust in God and in His Word. Instead of looking inside for answers, we go to Him and seek His will.
In these times, and with the challenges we are soon to be facing (if we’re not already), it is crucial that we “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)
So, instead of following your heart today, I would ask each of you instead to “…guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” (Proverbs 4:23)

Susan Mouw

Where is the Power of God Today?

If Jesus Christ was your pastor, would He hire interpreters for the deaf in His church?   If blind people came to His church, would they leave blind? If those with cancer came to His services, would they still leave with cancer? The church preaches about Christ every week, they preach about His great power, they preach about His great love, they preach about His ability to heal sickness and disease. So where is this great power in the church today? Why are we not seeing great signs and wonders by His followers like the early church did? Do you ever ask yourself these questions? I certainly do.

I believe the reason we are not seeing these great exploits among the majority of believers today is because the majority of believers today are carnal, not spiritual. (1Corinthians 3:1) They are babes in Christ. They have allowed themselves to become so entangled by the cares of this world that they have become unfruitful and powerless. “And these are they which are sown among thorns, such as hear the Word, but the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the Word, and it becomes unfruitful.” (Mark 4;19)

Now I realize that we all must go through maturing stages in our Christian walk, and to be carnal at some point is natural, but for 20 years or longer? We have those in the body of Christ that have been saved for decades and yet are still babes in Christ. They are simply too lazy or too busy to study their bibles and renew their minds with the Word of God. They never grow spiritually and as a result, have become defeated and ignorant of the authority Christ has given us as believers. Another reason is that many churches are stuck in man-made traditions which quench the Holy Spirit and His power. Still others simply do not believe that the supernatural gifts are operating in the new testament church today. They do not understand spiritual warfare, how to use the authority God has given us in the name of Christ to combat demonic forces that are running rampant in the lives of our loved ones and people throughout our world.

Whatever the reason, this type of carnality and ignorance of God's Word will cause us not to walk in the fullness of the power and authority that He intended. I am thoroughly convinced that the Lord has once again become weary concerning the condition of His church and has issued a change coming. Jesus tells us in the book of Mark, “these signs shall follow them that believe, they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover.” (Mark 16:17,18) Do you see this happening on a regular basis in the church? I certainly don't. Although I do believe we are about to see the return of great signs and wonders to the church that will play a major part in evangelism in these last days.

If we look back at the evangelistic methods of Christ Himself and the early church, we see where they raised the dead, healed sickness and disease, opened the eyes of the blind, “and many believed.” (Acts 9:40-42) Signs and wonders are to shew forth the power and glory of God, and they were meant to be part of evangelism to bring people into the Kingdom. God isn't just showing off, and our focus isn't to be on signs and wonders, but on the saving of souls. For the last several decades God has been preparing a generation of believers behind the scenes. He's raising up an army of believers who will refuse to compromise their faith, who seek not money or fame, who walk in a power and a boldness unlike anything we have seen in a very long time. They are the ones who will be leading the way in the coming days. So where is the power of God in the church? It's coming, and when it begins to spread throughout this earth like wildfire, there will be no mistaking it.

Jeff Allen

Conversation With God

“What is on your mind child?”

“Oh, I don’t know, I feel a lot of unresolved conflicts inside that produce stressful thinking and I can’t make them subside. I don’t want these destructive feelings destroying me or my day.”

“Well, you are on the right track by recognizing the problem, and wise to consider the choices you have to resolve it.”

“Yeah, I know. But it’s still a battle to redirect your adrenaline rushes onto something way more worthwhile, something that is life-giving instead of life-consuming. It’s like the bad news always invades my peace and stifles my ability to stabilize it back to normal. I feel I need to change this pattern.”

“What have done so far today to reverse these stressful thoughts?”

“In my mind, I want to sit down and immerse myself in your Word to start off my day, but in reality, I fall prone to distractions, as if my worrying will change the outcome. How foolish of me to obsess like this. It’s a glaring weakness I have. I even go so far and believe it’s in my nature to be taken captive, that I’ll always be predisposed towards anxiety, and that I will have to work harder to eradicate it than most people.”

“Are you sure about that? Last time I checked, the entire human race is still under siege, taken hostage by strongholds that can only be torn down by my Word, which, by the way, is the same for everyone – it has the same mighty working power for every set of circumstances, not just yours.”

“I know your words are truth Lord, and I vow right now to stop making excuses, and to exercise the authority you have given your followers to cast down these vein imaginations and make them obedient to your word. I am deciding right now, that after this conversation, I will put on my full armor and stand up tall, empowered in your truths, and confident I will succeed because you are on my side.”

“That’s my girl. See, we just needed a little refresher talk. I haven’t changed. I am the same Lord who walks with you through every trial you face. What makes the difference is when we walk together.”

“God, I will never not need you. Every waking moment I live and breathe is a reminder of my desperate need for you. I can’t move into the next second without your presence. Thank you for your steadfast unwavering love for me. I want you to be glorified in my life today. Thanks for standing by me as I pondered my dilemma on how to proceed from here.”

“Carry these words with you today and reflect on them often – He will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast on thee. That’s a promise. Hide it in your heart, and rejoice that you are free when you are close to me. It’s a part of my redemption plan for you child. I love you unconditionally. I will be interceding for you today.”

Mentoring

Jesus said to Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you burn with love for me more than these?” Peter answered, “Yes, Lord! You know that I have great affection for you!” “Then take care of my lambs,” Jesus said.

Knowledge puffs up while love builds up! Knowledge is important to feed the sheep, the followers of Christ, and the apostle Paul commanded his spiritual son pastor Timothy to study the word of God very close to show himself approved. But I believe love is the cornerstone for mentoring and pastoring. 

Jesus didn’t request from Peter to have knowledge first to feed his sheep, rather he was establishing the true heart behind it, neither did the Lord ask Peter, the apostle, and pastor to be if he loves his sheep, interesting right? Jesus asked Peter if he loves the owner of the sheep!

Loving the Lord is your authoritative license to feed his sheep. Why? Maybe because the sheep bite and at some point, you can throw the towel and leave and Moses is a good example of this struggle. Loving the Lord is ETERNAL and will keep you standing your ground to give him the rewards of his suffering. Doesn’t look bad if Jesus saved us, his precious souls, but couldn’t keep and nurture us after that glorious salvation? As much as the Lord wants to save you, he wants to build you up. As much as God needs evangelists, he desperately needs pastors and mentors. God always looks after the whole process and you have a part to fit. 

“The LORD used a prophet to bring Israel up from Egypt, by a prophet he cared for him.” Hosea 12:13 (Salvation & Caring)

Today, Holy Spirit is releasing his oil/anointing for you to mentor others in the things of the Lord and to make the King known to them. Having life coaching certificates, and prophetic degrees, and training, is all good and needed, go for it, invest as much as you can in this direction, BUT DO YOU LOVE THE LORD? … Feed his sheep.

Tony Francis

To be separated from Love

When I think about High things, I think about:

  1. God – the Highest of high things
  2. Principalities  and Rulers of the Kingdom of Darkness

Principalities and dark spirituals forces are pulled down in the authority of the name Jesus. God can never be pulled down. If the authority and power lie in the name Yahweh, can He ever be cast out by His own name ?! Who is higher than High? Yet, He came off His throne to redeem mankind.

It's one thing to be pulled down (against one's will) but it's another to use one's will to submit to a livelihood of humility unto death for the sake of saving a treasured creation that came from dust.

Dust. We stopped being merely dust the moment he breathed life into us because, at that point, we became an extension of Himself; a God that can never die. If He can never die, then all the extensions of His spirit in mankind would return unto Himself. It is impossible to let mankind perish with his very spirit of eternal love, remaining in them. He could have taken His spirit away from man due to sin, but He chose to remain in us, in fellowship.  He chose love, and love always desires relationship and companionship. God desires to save all vessels who desire to house Him. We are so precious to Him that He promises an incorruptible and imperishable nature that will not allow separation from love; His very essence.  To allow one to reject Him in favor of their will, would mean HIM extricating Himself from them. Dividing body from soul and spirit. A death far worse than just the flesh

You cannot live without God for He is life itself.

ksr5_smiling_assassin

Transparency to the Extent of Vulnerability

This thought of becoming transparent has been coming to mind for a couple of days. It may sound hardcore but it’s very simple! If I had to rephrase it, it simply says: we need to become childlike, not childish!!

A child is open, innocent, trusts blindly, humble in nature, teachable, explorative, creative, inquisitive, joyful, playful, and not afraid to let out its true feelings & needs !! You get the real deal with a child, hence you see people melt when they are around a baby or a toddler.

Yeshua said: “Let the children come to Me and don’t stop them! For the kingdom of heaven is like these little children” his disciples were trying to shush the children!! That is such a graceful move of Yeshua, to have children play around and would not be disturbed by their chitchat!!

Most of the time, we as adults want kids to be in a separate room if we are having a meeting !! On the contrary, have we tried having them alongside and not be disturbed or irritated!! It’s a kind of challenge or a discipline we need to practice!! To not get ticked by immaturity or innocence!! That’s a journey I’m on .. and I feel it’s a long way to grow!! Try it!! Mothers have great patience!! Hats off to them!!

If only we could become like children, willing to trust our Heavenly Father completely to the extent that we would not be afraid to be silly, that would be another level of maturity! I say that because it’s a test to have blind faith in His plans towards us rather than trying to control everything around us. What do you think?

Thoughts are welcome

Love

Jeevz💕

I Know My Plans for You: My Heavenly Calendar

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11  

Just like a good father who plans activities for his family on certain days to go out together, bond, and have fun, God is like that. He is YOUR GOOD FATHER in Christ Jesus. He has good things on his agenda for you already planned, blessings in store, waiting to be unlocked in the context of a relationship with him.

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:10  

Knowing all this, and that God is Lord over my time, I started the practice of downloading God’s agenda for me. Little did I know that I’ve set myself up for ongoing amazements, surprises, and of discovering more and more the reality of the Lord and that He is Emmanuel, who indeed is God with me.

I printed the monthly calendars on an A4 size then I got home, excited to fill in the blanks with the God substance! I took the monthly calendar paper that just started, lifted a prayer asking God to rule and reign over it, and fill each day and hour with his goodness.

I asked the Lord to give me a title and verse for that month and so He did. Then I continued in prayer and looked at the blank days of that month before my eyes, and asked the Lord to highlight the days marked on his agenda for me. Slowly I began scanning each section and I marked the days I felt Holy Spirit was hovering on. After finishing my spiritual scanning, I stopped on each highlighted day and asked the Lord to give me a title for that day. He was faithful to download his headlines to me for each coming highlighted day that month.

That created a great expectation in me to see the fulfillment and the download of His goodness into His marked days. The days that weren’t highlighted didn’t mean they didn’t belong to the Lord. It is just that there are some specific days where the FATHER has planned something special for me.

“How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!” Psalms 139:17-18

If I write all my testimonies, the surprises, and the fulfillment of God’s agenda for me each month, I don’t think I will be able to keep this devotion short. But one of the remarkable things that happened to me that I can tell you about and I can't forget is this incident:

I live an hour away from my family, and it is rare for my mother to visit me and if she does, it must be on a weekend. On a Monday, Mom called me.  She said she was passing by. I was surprised, and I told her, “Sure, it is always joyful to see you.” That Monday afternoon, Mama came, cleaned my little house, filled my fridge with all kinds of foods that last for a month, brought some accessories and decorated my rooms, and gave me money. I felt FULL on so many levels. I was so filled with gratitude to God and to her.

After she left back to our small hometown where she lives, the night fell and I spent some time with the Lord before going to bed, as I usually do. I forgot that day to check my calendar to see if that Monday was highlighted by the Lord. I grabbed the calendar, looked at the day, and to my shock I’d written at the beginning of that month this little title for that Monday: “MAMA’s BLESSINGS”. OMG! … I went crazy!

Happy downloading of God’s agenda for yourself!

Tony Francis

Download My Heavenly Calendar

The Release of GREAT Finances, Discerning Times & Seasons

There is a time for everything under heaven and now is the time SET by God to release empowerment for kingdom advancement. Finances are one of the avenues and tools used by God to help advancing his kingdom. Faith and obedience remain the number one stream for kingdom advancement because the just lives by faith and not by sight.

Why do I believe it’s time for the release of GREAT finances? Because many of God’s sons and daughters matured through the years and are now ready to receive that which God intended to release in Jesus' name. It is an exciting day, not because we will see kingdom millionaires & billionaires like never before but because we will see the chariot of God’s kingdom advancing so strong!

What do you do when you discern times and seasons? You position yourself to receive and partner with God for what he is doing. If you feel the WITNESS for this word and want to engage with it, open up and let Holy Spirit touch you and deposit in you his empowerment.

Remember, GREAT finances are given for a reason and you need to be a good steward of it. Let everything praise the LORD, even printed papers that have an assigned value, money.

“that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.” Acts 4

Enlarge your bank account, money is coming alongside to help you manifest your kingdom vision. Glory to God! AMEN

  • Feel free to donate, click here. Thank you for your generous donation! God bless you in Jesus' name.
  • Purchase & download my eBook: “Blessed in Christ” how to live like a Christianaire Click here.

Tony Francis