Tag Archive for: prophet

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

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

So How Did I Start Prophesying? 

For those of you who know me, you know that I am very active in prophetic ministry and I love it! For those of you who don’t yet know me, I want to tell you that I am a Jesus freak first and prophetic freak second. How did I come this far? It is all by the grace of God of course but it started years and years ago.

After I met this new “Jesus” that a Pentecostal friend told me about, I gave my heart to Him and became born again. This is when I started to really live; it was the new beginning I was longing for. There may be two reasons why people don’t experience salvation. The first reason may be the lack of someone telling them about the Lord, and the second reason may be some wrong misconceptions, doctrines, and teachings about this GOOD and beautiful Lord, this new “Jesus” who I met. Anyway, just after I became born again my eyes opened to the Bible, this spiritual book, in a new way I’ve never experienced before. The Bible has become the place I run to every day to meet the lover of my soul, learn more about him, and lay hold of his blessings to me that seem more accessible after becoming his. Not that unbelievers can’t receive from Jesus this is not what I mean! But as a son, the inheritance of my heavenly Father has become mine in Christ.

One day, I was reading in 1 Corinthians 14 these words:

But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves, but the one who prophesies edifies the church. I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy.

I parked on that verse and started a conversation with myself by acknowledging that I already spoke in tongues so I was halfway there. I felt the invitation of the Holy Spirit to ask for the gift of prophecy because I wanted to be an encourager, comforter, and edifier to others. So, I prayed these words, “Lord, your word invites me to ask for the gift of prophecy to encourage others and edify them and I want that. It is also written that if I ask, it shall be given unto me and as I believe that I have received, it shall be unto me. I do ask you Father to give me right now this gift of prophecy in Jesus’ name. Amen”.

As soon as I finished lifting my prayer and sealing it with the amen, I knew the gift of prophecy was mine. Little did I know that God delighted so much in my prayer that it excited him to a point of giving me a tangible manifestation that I wasn’t expecting. I felt what appeared like HOT OIL coming down on my head, very hot to the point my head started itching so hard. It was a dramatic commissioning moment I won’t forget all of my life. I didn’t ask for this dramatic fiery hot oil anointing to be poured on my head but it was another gift on top of the gift I received. I know that the truth of the word of God is far greater than physical manifestations but Abba’s ways of encouraging us and defining our moments with him are amazing and so confirming!

The next day I woke up so excited because I knew I could prophesy to people. From that time till now, I have never stopped prophesying the love of God to people. What a journey it is with Holy Spirit and I trust him for greater things to come! The gift of prophecy is a grace to hear from Holy Spirit for others to encourage, edify, and comfort them. I believe this gift is a mix of faith and boldness because it takes faith to hear what God is saying and boldness to deliver it.

If the Lord is inviting you to partake in this gift, bring your dish now and fill your plate and if you feel him inviting you for something else, follow him. Whatever you’ve been given in the pages of the scriptures glorifies Jesus. Steward your gift well, invest in it, and live on the wings of risk, thrill, and eternal enjoyments. There is nothing more beautiful than to give someone dear to Jesus a GOD ENCOUNTER and you are this one!

Tony Francis

Eye Salve To SEE

When you want to see something in the natural, you turn your eyes to it, look at it and you see it. You understand what you saw when your brain processes it. Seeing is an understanding! Now in the spiritual, you see something not necessarily by looking at it but by turning your spirit toward it, by thinking about it, and by giving it your awareness.

Faith is the processor of what you look at in the spirit as the brain is the processor for your earthly eyes.

“By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen did not come from anything visible. Hebrews 11:3”

So in the spirit, you see something by turning your thoughts and awareness to it by faith but it’s the Holy Spirit who breathes life and SHOWS things to come. For example, right now you can do this activation, do you want to see into your future? By faith, turn your thoughts and awareness to this direction and look, wait to get understanding and revelation from Holy Spirit.

You can look by faith at anything, just anything!

What area do you need to look at in the spirit? YOU CAN SEE. And at the end, the greatest thing to look at is Jesus, the glory of God himself. You can see him, you can know him and you can interact with him. You can see your children in the spirit, it’s not spying, don’t be afraid because God will only show you what is allowed for you to see and know. Happy Seeing!

I will end by asking you how did prophet Elisha saw his servant Gehazi from a distance when he met Naaman the Assyrian to take stuff from him in private? Elisha told him “my heart was with you”! 2 Kings 5

Tony Francis

Jesus the River

Rivers are a shadow of Jesus. When God made rivers, he was thinking about how to display the glory of the Son in this form of expression. Before a river was for drinking, swimming, calming, or any activity, it was to unlock a facet in the Son of God.

Why am I talking about rivers today? Am I bankrupt with other topics? Not at all. The Holy Spirit is highlighting it to me to speak to you about today. You will never be the same! You may be saying, oh my God, this is crazy, how can a river change my life today? Can’t you see the mess I am living in? The high-cost bills waiting to be paid? The kids at school going out of my control? Not to tell you about the chaotic surrounding where I live. A river, he said! 

Yes, there is a river that will take care of the entire long list you thought of. It’s not the nearby river, nor the amazon river or any other river. IT IS THE RIVER OF GOD that is running toward you and that you won’t see without a spiritual revelation and a one on one encounter in! I command your eyes to BE OPEN, SEE THE RIVER.

Didn’t Jesus tell the Samaritan prostitute woman at the well that the water he gives can satisfy her forever than the natural water she was drinking from? And yes, she left her JAR after she drank of the TRUE WATER OF LIFE, Jesus Christ. I believe that woman was thirsty to come to that well at noon to withdraw some water and the reason she left her JAR is that the spiritual water of Jesus satisfied her first, she had her thirsting priorities fixed and reordered. Also, Jesus who was hungry and sent his disciples to bring some food didn’t eat anymore after he ministered to that woman.

“But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?” My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” John 4:32-34      

Did the Lord eat later natural food? Yes, he did. Did that life-changed woman drink later natural water? yes, she surely did. The satisfying spiritual activity delayed these needs for some time later. The spiritual hunger and thirst are far greater than the physical and once met strongly in the spirit; they can postpone the natural ones. How did Moses live without food for forty days? He was in a strong spiritual encounter with the Lord on the mountain. I know of people who forget about eating when they are doing something they are passionate about or needed to be done. It is a possible thing but it excels when the spirit realm is involved!   

Back to the river! Jesus is your good shepherd and he leads you to still waters and refreshes your soul. Jesus is likened to the bread of life, the living water, and different prophetic aspects too. So what is the difference between Jesus the water and Jesus the river? It’s a good question, I am glad you asked.

The river speaks of the movement, the strength, the abundance, and the direction! Many are experiencing the Lord as the water and the bread but few are encountering him as THE RIVER. This is something God wants you to know about and experience! Allow him to introduce himself to you as the river, respond to the invitation to jump in him, let him take you to where he is going, let him supply you abundantly, and let him fill you powerfully. These are days where the Lord will use those who know him as the river and live in the river. Those who are satisfied with little sprinkles will be used in a very limited way. Go for an upgrade because the needs are great and the darkness is covering the whole earth. I call you a person of the RIVER of God. 

“I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10

Tony Francis

 

She killed him then he killed her

When Elijah the prophet fled because he got scared of Jezebel's threatening to take his life, he became tired, drained, depressed, and suicidal but it started with fear. Then God met him on the mountain in the cave, and asked him what are you doing here Elijah? He asked him that twice and twice was the same answer.

“I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.” 1 Kings 19:14

“They seek my life”? Was that accurate? Let’s see what happened and why Elijah fled:

“Now Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and even more, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.” And he was afraid and arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.” 1 Kings 19:1-3

Elijah answered with pride and wasn't real. He could have told the Lord sincerely; well I am afraid of Jezebel Sir that is why. When we are afraid, we may exaggerate. It was one woman who threatened him but Elijah said: THEY seek my life.

Elijah answered the Lord in a spiritual heroic way: I had to flee and preserve myself and my ministry because I am the only voice left for you O God (and there is none like me. This is my adding). Am I against fleeing to protect our lives? No. But was he led by the Spirit to do that or was he fear-driven? Because sometimes the Spirit leads us to stay and confront and other times to flee. Jesus left immediately on many occasions and attempts to kill him but he was motivated by love and not by fear. Because fear is a sin! And Jesus knew it wasn’t his time to die this way.

In my opinion, God asked Elijah twice to give him an invitation to be real and humble but maybe he couldn't swallow that the MIGHTY Elijah who just had a great conference on the mount Carmel is now running from a woman in authority. He could have been real with God because after all, God knows the heart. Jezebel threatened Elijah to put seeds of fear in him to control him and push him away because Elijah was the real threat to her worship system. If she wanted to kill him she could have taken him by surprise and not give him an appointment “tomorrow about this time”. If she had the chance to kill him, it was before the restoration of God’s people because now Elijah was more empowered.

“Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that You, O LORD, are God, and that You have turned their heart back again.” Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The LORD, He is God; the LORD, He is God.” 1 Kings 37-39

Sadly, Elijah kept hanging to pride on Horeb's mountain while God offered him invitations to humble himself and be real before him in that cave conversation. Elijah insisted that he was the man for the hour alone and that God’s power only works through him but God told him he kept 7000 for him. After that, we see that Elijah’s ministry came to a closing chapter and that he was only allowed to anoint others for continuity. The same thing happened with Moses when he beat the rock twice; his ministry ended after that act of disobedience fueled by pride that was disguised as anger. Then Joshua was appointed next!

On the other hand, David the king after committing adultery with Bathsheba and killing her husband, was humble, real, and repenting when Prophet Nathan confronted him with the word of the Lord and his ministry continued and his relationship with the Lord. We read him repenting in Psalms 51!

It’s true that Jezebel only threatened to kill Elijah but actually she did kill his influence and ministry at the end because Elijah swallowed the bait of fear mixed with pride and because he didn’t find the place of humility in the presence of the Lord, the Lord resisted the proud. But the good news is that Elijah also killed Jezebel and her ministry because he left a prophecy of judgment from the Lord against her that was after her even after he was taken to heaven.

“Of Jezebel also has the LORD spoken, saying, ‘The dogs will eat Jezebel in the district of Jezreel.'” 1 Kings 21: 23

How many times have we answered the Lord in pride when he was extending to us invitations to be real and humble?

“Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling.” Proverbs 16:18 

“Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, But humility goes before honor.” Proverbs 18:12 

“But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.” James 4:6

Tony Francis

3 Things Every Christian Must Know During COVID-19

By Robert Hotchkin

We are in the midst of some really interesting and challenging times.  There is all sorts of information, theory, confusion, opinion and conjecture swirling about in regards to this COVID-19 CCP Coronavirus pandemic.

Some voices are shouting that the virus is a man-made conspiracy meant to “thin the herd” with a bio-weapon.  Other voices are barking that it is a natural occurrence and evidence that the earth is trying to “shake off” humanity so it can rebalance its ecosystem.  Then there are voices screaming that this is the judgment of a wrathful God.  And others blaring that it is all a scam – just a deep state power grab and suppression of civil rights.

On top of all that, we also have a cacophony of opinions about the best way to deal with the virus.  Some say masks and gloves help.  Others say they have little or no effect.  There are those who claim ventilators are part of the solution.  Others say, no, ventilators might actually work to weaken the lungs.  And then we probably don’t even have room to get into all the conjecture, theories and arguments about the best drug treatments and vaccine approaches.

What are we to listen to?  What can we trust?  What are we to believe?

As is always the case for Christians, the best person to listen to is Jesus.  He actually taught into this very type of situation more than 2,000 years ago in Matthew 16:13-20.

Remember the story?  He and the disciples are coming into the region of Caesarea Philippi.  As they do, Jesus asks His followers what the report of the world is about Him.  The disciples tell Him that some sources say He is John the Baptist, while other voices are declaring he is Elijah, and then there are those who say He is Jeremiah, and still more proclaiming that He is one of the other prophets.

Jesus gives no heed to any of that.  He doesn’t even address all the theories and opinions being blared out by His day’s version of CNN, MSNBC and Fox.  Instead, He asks them, “Who do you say that I am?”

When Simon Peter responds that Jesus is the Messiah, the Lord says something truly profound that speaks into the very situation we are facing with the swirl of COVID-19 news, media, theory, information and conspiracy:

 

“Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:17-18 NKJV emphasis added)

 

Jesus is giving Simon Peter kudos for being able to “hear” past the noise of all the voices and opinions and conjecture and agenda and politics of the world, and instead tune into what heaven is speaking and revealing about the situation.  Jesus is showing His disciples then, and all of us now, that the key to thriving and even being blessed in challenging times is to focus on heavenly truth as opposed to earthly debate.  When we do this, He reveals, we will be established in truth, built upon the rock, and empowered as His church and Body. The result will be that nothing of hell will be able to prevail in the earth no matter how well fortified those demonic strongholds seem to be.

So, with that in mind, let’s look at three key heavenly truths that are critical for every Christian to know, and live from, right now. 

 [1]  WHO GOD IS

Who do you say God is during this pandemic?  In seasons of great challenge and need, what you believe about God is huge.  The Lord is the same yesterday, today and forever (see Hebrews 13:8).  That means we should not allow our temporary circumstances to impact our revelation of who God is and what God is like.  Just the opposite.  We should allow our revelation of who God always is, and what He is always like, to impact our circumstances.  No matter what is going on in the ever-changing happenings in the earth, the one thing we can count on is that God is the Lord and He does not change (see Malachi 3:6).  That means that God is still God.  He is still healer.  He is still deliverer.  He is still provider.  He is still protector.  He is still good, and He is still well able to bring about the very best results in this current set of circumstances.  COVID-19 has not changed who God is to you, for you, or with you.

 [2]  WHO YOU ARE

There is a reason you did not go home to heaven as soon as you got saved.  It’s because you have a key role to play for the Kingdom here in the earth.  When you said yes to Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you were not only forgiven of your sins and restored to relationship with your Heavenly Father for all eternity.  You were also restored to the plan He has had since Day Six – to have children made in His image who operate in His deputized authority and Holy Spirit power as His dominion stewards in the earth.  You want to know what God’s plan is to deal with COVID-19?  Look in the Word (see Genesis 1:26-28).  Then look in the mirror.  It’s you!  He knows it (see Luke 10:19).  He needs you to know it.  So that you start operating in the power and authority He has given you to heal the sick, raise the dead, feed the hungry, bring peace to the panicked, send forth His never-failing Word in intercession, pray for our leaders, and basically arise and shine because there is darkness in the earth that needs dealt with (see Matthew 10:1, 8; Matthew 14:16; Isaiah 55:11; 1 Timothy 2:1-4; Isaiah 60:1-1, and John 14:12)!

 [3]  ALL THAT YOU HAVE

2 Peter 1:3 is a great scripture to be meditating on right now.  It reminds you that by God’s great and divine power, He has blessed you with everything pertaining to life and godliness.  Did you catch that?  EVERYTHING.  Isn’t that amazing?!  Whatever you need for everyday life – He has blessed you with it.  Whatever you need to put God on display through your life – He has blessed you with it.  Not will bless you with it one day in the sweet by-and-by if you are good.  But has blessed you with it here and now because He is amazing.  So no need to panic.  No need to fear.  No need to hoard.  You have it.  And He will lead you into all of it (see Psalm 23:1-3).  This will allow you to look, sound and act differently than the rest of the world right now.  To be at peace when others are anxious.  To be confident when others are shaken.  To be a source of blessing, encouragement, wisdom, solutions, love, compassion, joy and much, much more when others are feeling bereft.  As you look and sound different from the rest of the world, the world will eventually take notice and ask why.  That’s when you get to share with them the greatest thing you have been blessed with – Jesus!

Don’t let the WHO, Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, YouTube, your next-door neighbors, or anyone or anything else tell you what is true right now.  Let the Word of the Lord speak to you.  Let eternal truth remind you.  Let your Heavenly Father and His Holy Spirit edify, encourage and empower you.  Let them remind you who God is, who you are, and all that you have been blessed with in Christ Jesus.  Because when you do, COVID-19 will not stand.  And neither will anything else hell tries to send at you.

  

Robert Hotchkin is an author, minister, speaker and media host.  He is the founder of Men on the Frontlines, and one of the core leaders of Patricia King Ministries. He hosts the weekly Heroes Arise broadcast, co-hosts the show Propel with Patricia King, and is a regular guest and co-host of the show Supernatural Life on GodTV.  Robert’s newest book, 31 Decrees of Blessing for Men, is a powerful daily devotional that activates men to walk in all that they have been blessed with as sons of God.

The Angel & the Trumpet of Humility

Thursday 4 April 2019, I was spending some intimate time in prayer with my Lord Jesus at night as I usually do. These are my best moments ever when everyone is sleeping in the neighborhood and when it is quiet, I connect to Heaven. While I was praying, I mentioned by the Spirit of the Lord this prayer “the breakthroughs of Humility” and when I uttered this prophetic prayer, something happened. I saw in a vision an Angel in my room standing to my right blowing a trumpet. I kept myself engaged in this vision to receive what the Lord is doing and why he sent this Angel.

As we know from Hebrews 1:14, Angels are God’s spirit ministers sent to serve us in our inheritance. How often do you hear a faint thought from God or a vision and you ignore it? Well, if you engage with it long enough you will get understanding and open up to receive what God meant to give you. In the book of Acts 10, Peter kept thinking of the vision of the heavenly basket then the scripture says: “The Holy Spirit spoke to him”.

Thank God, I didn’t ignore this angelic ministry. I looked back at his trumpet and saw engraved on it the word “HUMILITY”. I stepped by faith and stood where the Angel was standing in my room. When I did that and stood in the Angel, the spirit of prophecy fell on me and started prophesying over myself great powerful words about me being transformed into humility more and more. I don’t remember all the words I spoke by the Spirit, I remember things like: “I will think humility, speak humility, look like humility … then I commanded PRIDE BOW DOWN, etc.”

The next day the Lord used me mightily ministering to others and prophesying great stuff over them. No wonder God released his power through me the next day after he secured and established me in humility the night before!

I am sending my prophetic experience to the whole church to release the activity and ministry of this angel for you because I feel doing this. May you experience the increase of Christ’s humility in your life … because great things are coming your way and God wants you to position yourself well for power & love on the cornerstone of humility! AMEN

Toni Francis

You can also watch this blog as a Vlog (Video Blog). Click here to watch it: The Angel & the Trumpet of Humility

Dancing Between Two Emotions

You host your own emotions, I am not saying something new to you here, we all know that. Your heart is your deepest part, your core, your behind the scenes where the action takes place. It is where you closely listen to your emotions where it whispers to you the sadness, other times shouts the thrill of joy and hope, not to list all the other scenarios and discussions that your emotions throw at you even when you are not in the mood for a 2 ways conversation!

Nobody like strangers, if a thief enters my house I will kill him. We protect ourselves well from aliens. Your heart is your space alone and you are a master over it, sometimes! Emotions are God’s blessings to you that flow like waves in your inner ocean. Sometimes it is a peaceful wave, other times it is a force, a storm. You are made in God’s image and God has emotions towards you!

Have you ever stopped to listen to the heartbeat of God for you? He has a big heart huh? What a glorious experience, right?

When you accept Christ in your heart, you host God in you what the Bible calls it “the new birth experience”. You become the temple of Holy Spirit where he dwells. Behind the scenes now there is a unity between you and the Lord. You will cry at what makes God cry and God will cry at what makes you cry. You will laugh with him and he will laugh with you but never at you! You are now officially hosting more than your emotions and God will give you grace, wisdom, and maturity to discerning what is yours and what is not, his word will sharply divide and pierce all layers.

Prophetic vessels of God are quite something! They need to be studied closely in a lab. A prophetic vessel not only delivers God’s word but his heart as well. The Helper the Holy Spirit is the ancient of days maestro who will beautifully orchestrate and harmonize the instruments of emotions of yours and God to create a beautiful melody that the deaf can hear but you will live your life on … dancing between two emotions because you are hosting God.

Tony 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