Why Prophets Should Be Still and Silent!

Along with the word of knowledge piece after the election, this is another difficult piece to write. Yet, I know God will allow the right people to see this, and I pray that He gets the glory from this spiritual gift, word of knowledge. My blog after the results was directed for the Church in America, as a whole. This post also applies to the Church, but its direct audience is those who identify themselves as prophets. Similar to my last post, I included two references to support this message: (1) The video of Brian Carn's prophetic word, and (2) Background information on Betsy Devos, Trump's potential candidate for the Education Secretary.

Let me first start with these sentiments. I am American, born and raised in Philadelphia, and I love my rich heritage. I've repeatedly heard the story of how my mother, father, aunt, grandmother, and cousin migrated to the USA. I love my native language and enjoy hearing my children speak it. So, I can proudly say I am the child of immigrants. I can’t imagine waiting for my family to arrive in this country and receiving the unfortunate news that we cannot be united/reunited. While watching the news of crowded airports, I truly sympathize with families that are unduly influenced by the executive order of the current administration regarding immigration.

My second sentiment is the focal point of my post. I have a close Facebook friend who expressed her frustration towards individuals who cannot currently speak out against the injustice we are experiencing, but who have spoken out on other matters. Though her feelings are valid, I wanted to comment and let that friend know what I detected in my spirit. I sensed that too many people are speaking out of hurt, frustration, disappointment, hatred, and probably much more. So, how could I communicate to that friend that I felt peace with silence? My lips were completely numb with knowledge of the current events. When that happens, I turn to God. Therefore, I asked God, “What are the ‘prophets' saying?” 

By prophets, I was referring to the mega-ministers, the international people who constantly have something to say about “God said.” After all, that’s what happened in the Old Testament. The major and minor prophets had insight to God’s will and declared what they were unctioned to say to the people. Consequently, the people received awareness of God’s plan and either chose to obey or disobey. When we look at the popular prophets and ministers in Christianity today, we have positioned select individuals as the “major prophets” of our time. They are the ones who have the platforms to represent God to a broad audience, whether they are right or wrong.

At exactly 8:00 PM on 1/30/17, I sat at my dinner table after my grad class, and the Holy Spirit told me to look for Brian Carn. What I discovered about a preacher I barely know blew me away. I will not negatively speak against anyone, but after finding the information, I received revelation on why those who profess their callings as prophets, or operate in prophesy, should take a moment of silence and stillness for several reasons. I admonish those individuals to place themselves on a gag order and avoid saying, “I see…God said…in my dream.” Let’s explore why this is a time for prophets to be still and silent.

1. There is too much calamity to accurately discern God's voice.

God is not a liar (Numbers 23:19). He is not speaking to so many different prophets and saying so many different things. We have to give God more credit than that. Prophets, during such mayhem, please do not force God to speak. Additionally, do not try to be God’s mouthpiece when God is choosing to be silent. How is this backed biblically?

Take a quick look at Job. The Bible classifies Job as a "perfect and upright man" (Job 1:1). God was confident in Job's character and permitted Satan to afflict him. With Job's initial shock of his trials, he and his friends remained in each other's company for seven days and seven nights, without uttering one word to Job. During one affliction after another, Job desperately wanted God to speak in the midst of his situation (Job 30:20). Well, it wasn't until chapter 38 that God finally decided to respond to Job; but, He didn't do it calmly. God spoke out of a whirlwind, or storm, and He spoke for a long time. At the conclusion of God's discourse, I can honestly say, "Job couldn't handle the truth." Hearing God speak caused an interpersonal revelation that humbled Job - how he saw himself, how he saw God, and how he saw his circumstance all changed.

What God wants prophets to know is that He executed His plan for Job's life and didn't feel obligated to speak to Job in the midst of his chaotic situations. So, please stop trying to represent God in the midst of all this turmoil we are experiencing in America, before and now, with the aftermath of the election. Let God be God all by Himself.

Furthermore, if you profess to be a prophet, please ask yourself, "Am I ready to hear what God is saying? Can I handle the weight of God's word?" Before you answer, I ask you to consider this statement. If God really spoke to you the way He is feeling, it would be an earsplitting noise that shocks your auditory senses. How is that biblical? Well, let's look at what happened on Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:1-18). When God decided to speak, He instructed the children of Israel to get ready. This was an instruction for both their outer and inner condition. If anyone touched the mount, they would die. So, preparing to hear God's voice and experiencing His presence, was an event that required a level of sacredness. Truthfully, the Church in America, has lost that level of reverence when approaching God. Here's the part that prophets need to know about hearing God's voice during this time. On Mount Sinai, God used thunders and lightnings, the voice of the trumpet; and the people trembled. If God used that same method today, can you really handle all of that noise in your natural ear? I can almost guarantee you that you can't. Do you have a godly fear of God's voice to tremble like the people on Mount Sinai? Only you can answer that.

As we've seen the use of natural phenomenas, let us continue with that theme for my second point, as to why prophets need a moment of silence and stillness.

2. God is coming in different directions/ways, because His move is multi-faceted. Don't assume you know how God is working.

Let's look at how the Lord appeared to the Prophet Elijah (1 Kings 19). Now, Elijah was a man of God that did many exploits. Yet, even with his anointed positioning, he had a level of sensitivity to measure the direction and source of God's voice. He did not take every decibel and label it as a word from the Lord. That's a mistake prophets are currently making. They are taking every action, every observation, and running with a prophetic message of what God is saying. But, Elijah knew how to assess God's voice accurately. For instance, when Elijah went to stand on the mount before the Lord to hear God speak, the Lord passed by with a great and strong wind. Although it felt powerful, Elijah didn't start jumping up and down proclaiming a message from God. God didn't speak through the wind, and Elijah waited. After the wind came an earthquake. While that is powerful also, Elijah didn't pronounce a word from the Lord. God didn't speak through the earthquake, and Elijah waited. After the earthquake came a fire. Once again, that is powerful as well, but Elijah didn't pronounce a word from the Lord. God didn't speak through the fire, and Elijah waited. Finally, after the fire came a still, small voice. YES! It's in that minuscule moment that Elijah discerned God's voice and moved accordingly.

As prophets, without clearly hearing God's voice, your cognition is limited to your current knowledge, values, and experience. Please do not box God into your angle(s), because honestly, your finite understanding cannot keep up with God's infinite agenda. So, when you think God is speaking one way in these turbulent times, there's a strong likelihood that you are wrong. Again, I caution you to take a moment of stillness and silence . 

Those last two words bring me to my last point.

3. Even though many scriptures call for God to not be silent or still (Psalm 83:1), we must accept that stillness and silence are valid forms of communication between God and humanity.

I don't plan for this point to be long. I only have three scriptures that are not exhaustive to demonstrate this point.

"Be STILL, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." ~Psalm 46:10

"Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye STILL, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you." ~2 Chronicles 20:17

"Even fools are thought wise if they keep SILENT, and discerning if they hold their tongues." ~Proverbs 17:28, NIV


In summation, prophets are valued historically and scripturally. However, I hope this post can enlighten someone about the importance of being precise, and the detriment of not speaking accurately. Analogically, it's like taking a bowl of salt, dropping one grain of pepper, and saying that the bowl only contains salt. It may look like it's true, but it's not. Even though the content primarily contains salt, the addition of pepper changes the composition. Also, if pepper keeps getting added incrementally, it continues to alter the content of the bowl. So, to those who are prophets, please do not change the composition of God's Word and present it to us like it's God's unadulterated truth.



APPENDIX

View the video of Brian Carn by clicking the link, especially around 18:50.
Brian Carn's 'Prophecy'


Take my quiz on Betsy Devos by clicking the link to learn more about her.
Betsy Devos

What should a prophet do in this situation? There is a lot of speculation about Trump's nominee for Education, who is proven to have no knowledge of how education works. Let's assume I'm a prophet (which I'm glad I'm not). If I forced my current knowledge, my current values, and my current experience, I will give a prophetic word that goes two ways: "I see God allowing the confirmation of Betsy Devos," or "I don't see God allowing the confirmation of Betsy Devos." 

QUESTION: So, what is the safe measure I should take that won't embarrass God, or confuse God's people?

• Based on my strong, Christian values, I can prophesy that God will allow Devos for the Education Secretary because her mother, "Elsa Prince Broekhuizen, Betsy's mother, donated $75,000 to the successful 2004 ballot measure to ban same-sex marriage in Michigan; four years later, she gave $450,000 to an identical initiative in California."

• Based on my current knowledge of how disastrous the schooling environment is, I can prophesy that God wants a person to bring prayer back into school.

• Based on my current experience as a graduate student pursuing my Master's Degree in Early Childhood Education, I can prophesy that God will not confirm a person who has no knowledge of the field.

 ANSWER: I should be STILL, SILENT, and let God be God.

America

November 10, 2016

This is a difficult piece to write, but I prayed for God to use this word of knowledge for His glory. For the sake of this writing, you must refer to several cited works, such as oceansinthedesert.com for the news article titled, “The Nations Cry Out to the Lord for the USA from Jerusalem.” That article truly saddened me. The country that the Bible mandates us to pray for their salvation is interceding for us. That is truly a role reversal in the spirit realm. It’s like an older sibling that must protect his/her younger sibling; but instead, the older sibling gets beaten, and the younger one has to step up.

Can you believe that Israel is stepping up for the United States? It’s not just a prayer; it’s a fervent intercession as they cry out in tongues, even with the Chinese taking the stage to pray for the Americans. The article clearly credits God using many nations, including the Israeli host, Asher Intrater (a Messianic Jewish leader) to pray prayers that broke through the spirit realm with power and authority for the United States. I haven’t yet seen a mass gathering of Christians in the United States making news for crying out to God.

Do you want to know why? There are a number of reasons.

America’s focus is OFF!

As Christians in the United States, our focus is off! This may be news to others, because it was news to me. There are people that went into the polling booth and selected Donald Trump against their own will. God ALLOWED Donald Trump’s appointment; and many Christians won’t come forth to confess their confusion as they went to vote with a clear mind, but ended up going against their own understanding. It would cause too much shame. I’ve seen a comment saying the people that voted for Donald Trump need conversion. Please don’t say that. It’s not true. Many are converted Christians that were used by God to select the very candidate they wanted to vote against. Also, please stop talking about the injustice towards black men with the police and slavery, or immigrants, or women, or anyone else that Donald Trump offended. Yes, that is all a tragedy, but it’s a distraction. That is NOT what God is saying or wants us to focus on as the Church in America. That deals with flesh and blood and ignores what God is revealing about what’s happening in the spirit realm.

      The Church in America MUST STAND FOR GOD and stop focusing on Trump!

      As I stood in the booth with my children, they witnessed my vote for Hillary. So, please don’t crucify me. I have witnesses that I voted for Hillary. I did the popular thing, but I knew it wasn’t God’s will.  God is FED UP with the Church in America. Please realize that I didn’t say the country. I said the Church. The accountability to live a life of holiness lies on us, and we have failed God terribly. We allowed this, and because the Church in America is so corrupt, we can’t celebrate that the LGBTQIA community is terrified right now for living in their sin. That’s what you call CONVICTION! We can’t celebrate that Planned Parenthood is terrified that they may not be able to abort more than 320,000 “born” babies a year. That’s what you call MURDER! They’re proud to say “unborn.” Well, here’s news for them. Those babies are “born,” because before they were placed in their mother’s womb, God knew about them; and they had a purpose. So, unfortunately, the Church can’t celebrate that the enemy won’t be able to kill any more prophets, or teachers, or doctors, or lawyers, or pastors, or psalmists, or whatever child of God that had a calling on his or her life. Let’s keep going. The Church can’t celebrate the new talk to rebuild the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. Why would we celebrate that, if we can’t honor the Lord’s house right here in our country? So, please “Church!” Let’s stop whining and see God’s Hand in this. God is tired of the Church in America, and He’s about to do a clean sweep of everything that is wicked.

      The United States is experiencing an ICHABOD phenomenon!

Ichabod means, “The glory has departed from Israel” (1 Samuel 4:21). Unfortunately, guess where the glory is really departing from? Yes, it’s the United States. While 80% of Americans identified as Christians in 2008, the number has now decreased to about 75% or even lower, depending on the source. However, don’t look at the number. Look at the trend. There’s an obvious decline.  While the Obamas are a wonderful, charismatic family, I feel sadly when Christians revere his leadership and personality, rather than denounce/rebuke the legislation behind his authority. Do we realize (as a Church) that Obama’s administration caused God the greatest grief? Please don’t crucify me. I’m in the Bible! What he accomplished for the LGBTQIA population is truly deplorable, and the power he gave them supersedes the power of the Church in America. It’s not that there isn’t power in the Church in America. The problem is there are too many individuals within the Church that fall under the LGBTQIA agenda. How can anyone fight what they are a part of? As a result, during this new ERA of oppression, God’s glory will no longer grieve in churches that claim to welcome His Spirit. Rather, watch how God’s glory is going to depart from many congregations. People who are not pure will try to sing praise and worship or preach, but God will strike them with muteness. Nothing will come out of their mouths. I’m scared to even admit that it may result in death, like Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11). The great fear that seized the whole church when that happened in the Bible is going to cause a great fear within the Christian churches in America, because we have not been worshipping God in spirit and truth. However, the church won’t experience fear if the prophetic voices of God’s true prophets continue to be suppressed.

      We must see God’s hand concerning salvation for all.

During my entire salvation experience (12 years), I learned that Israel has forsaken God. Therefore, we ought to rejoice, for their denial of Jesus Christ made way for the Gentiles to receive salvation. We ought to pity them because they were blind. We ought to question how they could possibly miss the Messiah. Well, guess what? Israel is no longer the problem. The United States is. It’s time for the Church in America to study the history in the Old Testament. That’s where we are. We are the spiritual Israel suffering persecution for our wickedness. Let’s stop being quick to quote all of the blessings of obedience from Deuteronomy 28 and understand that we are experiencing the consequences of disobedience instead. Also, 2 Chronicles 7:14 is overtaxed. Christians must understand that it’s a scripture constantly quoted and quickly forgotten and not upheld. The truth is God does not want to hear from many Christians in America. He’s tired. Just like a natural parent gets tired of patiently loving and redirecting a wayward child, as our Heavenly Father, God is tired of us.

      God is waiting for the children.

While there is a remnant of adults that are faithful and obedient, adults can’t do for America what children are being called to do. Thankfully, Planned Parenthood is frightened that they won’t be able to kill babies anymore. We, as the Church, should rejoice. Not only should there be a rise of a Gideon anointing upon the children, but the children will also show the heart of Josiah. They will experience the revelation of God’s law and begin to cry out. They are the ones who will rent their clothes and touch the heart of God for the nation.

       There is a TRANSFER of the anointing.

America’s denial of God is allowing a greater anointing to sweep through other nations, including Israel’s land. The fact that they are interceding for us shows that we must humble ourselves from thinking that we are “responsible” for prompting Israel’s salvation, or that we are the greatest power in the world. Christians have constantly felt superior to the Jews, always preaching to them about how they’ve rejected the Chief Cornerstone, about how they’re blind, about how they underestimated Jesus as Lord and Savior, the King of Kings. They are the unbelieving, covenant breaking, stiff-necked people that rejected God, and God rejected them. Well, they aren’t the ones who need to be preached to now about salvation. The Christians in America need Israel to preach to us. Stop looking at it as if we should be proud to be their ally and defend them in times of weakness. Let’s modestly admit that they are our allies and are defending us in our time of spiritual weakness. Here’s what the church must ask. Why is there such an outpour of God’s Spirit in Israel and other nations, while America is becoming increasingly wicked?

With those points in mind, if we see breakthrough in America, it’s because of the children who are being called and other nations that have received God’s Spirit and fresh anointing to pray for us Americans. That’s who God is listening to. It does not mean that God will ignore Christians who are living a lifestyle of holiness in America. It simply means that He’s looking for a new sound to reach heaven. We must move past the status quo. I saw a vision of a Buddhist man worshipping Buddha. I saw a vision of a homosexual man leading praise and worship. It saddens me to say this, but I heard God say, “If I had to bestow one with My favor, I will choose the one, faithful and pure man worshipping Buddha, than the wicked, homosexual man that is an abomination to me.” I questioned God about the validity of that statement, until He reminded me that He’s no respecter of persons. Who are we to limit God concerning what He can do? If He used the precedent of a donkey to obey Him, He can choose whatever vessel is available.  God wants people of all nations to repent and be saved. Why should He wait for a crooked America, if He has an obedient Nigeria, or China, or Mexico, or Japan, or Brazil, or Russia, or Ethiopia, or the Philippines, or Germany, or Canada, or France, or Italy, or India, or many more nations that want to see their Christianity statistics increase, rather than decrease like America?

In summation, this is the word of knowledge God gave me.

“What happened with the election of Donald Trump is not a message for the world. It’s a message for the Church. While people think the country elected Donald Trump, they don’t understand that they FORCED me to appoint him for that position. Though there are many sins, the spirit of PERVERSION (LGBTQIA) is the leading cause for my WRATH. This event has biblical symbolism to what the Midianites did to Israel. Because of their wickedness, I allowed them to experience hardship. Likewise, the United States has now entered into an ERA, not season, of oppression with a new REGIME of leadership. If the wickedness continues, the ERA will extend to another term. For parents that have children, let them know that I am NOT calling for the Joshua generation. It’s time for the church to let go of their clichés. I am calling for children to walk into a GIDEON anointing, especially young, black boys, who are the least of the clan in society. Because of America’s disobedience, there are other countries that will now PROSPER from the economic downturn, for the wealth of the wicked is laid up for the righteous. The church is suffering persecution because of its PLAYERS. It has its own agenda to elevate people that I have not elevated and suppress people that I have truly called and anointed to destroy yokes.”

Works Cited

1. The Word of God
2. Planned Parenthood
3. Nations Crying Out to God for USA
4. The new relationship between the United States and Israel
5. LGBTQIA

Indecent Exposure

Last month's blog pinpointed my next topic as Relationships and Time Management. I even wrote the message. However, that is not what God wants me to write about this month. As a matter of fact, when He gave me the title, I was shocked and said, "Nope!" But I'm going to be truthful and write as the Holy Spirit leads me.

Let's look at the following scripture:

"And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed" (Genesis 2:25).

 
 I want you to think of Adam and Eve's pure state in the Garden of Eden before they sinned. Once you visualize that thought, I now want you to fast forward to how our society is today. If you were to walk out of your house the way Adam and Eve were created, you would get arrested. Why? Because time has changed. Prior to the fall, the appearance of man - which was nakedness - reflected outward and inner integrity. They were not created to live with guilt or shame.

However, man's disobedience polluted what was deemed as normal and acceptable in God's eye, to what is now interpreted as indecent exposure. Legally, this term is defined as "intentional exposure of part of one's body in a place where such exposure is likely to be an offense against the generally accepted standards of decency." In many states, it requires three elements:

1. Exposure
2. Intent
3. Obscenity 

So, while outward nakedness in public is forbidden; spiritual nakedness is what God is looking for in us. During our intimate times with Him, He is not looking for us to come before Him with fig leaves - trying to pretty ourselves up, or trying to hide imperfection with perfection. He wants us to disclose our state of ugliness, when we are spiritually unfit and need His help.

The Bible says that our righteousness is as filthy as rags (Isaiah 64:6). So, we all have a level of being unfit. Yet, God is sovereign, loving, graceful, and merciful, and still desires to have us come into His presence. 

"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16).

When you look up the word boldly in its original text, it constitutes the following elements:

1. Freedom in speaking, unreservedness in speech
2. Openly, frankly, i.e without concealment
3. Without ambiguity or circumlocution
4. Without the use of figures and comparisons
5. Free and fearless confidence, cheerful courage, boldness, assurance
6. The deportment by which one becomes conspicuous or secures publicity

 As a matter of fact, as you read a few verses before, you see that God's Word is designed to cause indecent exposure spiritually.

"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12).

I am now in a season with a new circle of influence. Someone asked me on Sunday during my church's Holy Spirit Encounter, "Are you okay?" And as I answered, "I'm fine." They said, "No, you're not!" Next thing I know, that person wrapped me in her arms and allowed me to cry, speaking words of encouragement. Another person asked, "Are you okay?" Again, I said, "Yes, I'm fine." Well, that person looked at me like I had four heads, and I knew she could see the internal struggle to fight the tears.

Truthfully, I'm a bit upset at times. I often say, "God, I used to get away with it before. My pain and struggles were hidden behind my smile." When I shared my feelings with a friend, she said, "That means God is opening you for healing and wholeness. But most importantly, God's allowing it to happen in a safe environment for you - with people who can handle you being stripped and still love you anyhow - despite feeling ugly and unfit."

So, I encourage you today to know that God's presence is a safe environment to become spiritually naked and unashamed. It's a safe environment to cry, to show brokenness, to disclose your wounds, to release your anger, to become free from unforgiveness, rejection, abandonment, and whatever hindrance you have in your way. I also pray that God surrounds you with people who can accept your indecent exposure spiritually and not exploit you in a time of weakness and vulnerability.

As I conclude, let's consider the following analogy. Imagine yourself soundly sleeping in your bed, tucked in under the warm covers. Suddenly, someone walks in your room and snatches the cover off of you. I don't know about you, but I would feel startled and disturbed. My immediate reaction would try to snatch my covers back.

Well, that's what God is capable of doing to us at times when He's allowing us to be broken in order to be molded in the palm of His hands and made whole. It may seem like He does it brutally; but it's done with love, forcing us to see our current condition. So, when that happens to you, don't fight God and try to snatch the covers back to continue hiding. Drop the fig leaves! It's only through complete transparency that He can heal, restore, reform, mend, and deliver.

God bless you! Thank you for reading!

Are You a Spiritual Hoarder?

It’s not something to be proud of, but you may be able to join with me and admit that you are a spiritual hoarder, or have been one at some point in your life. Hopefully, if this is true for you, I pray that this blog will provide insight on the harm involved with being a spiritual hoarder. I want to study this unhealthy behavior naturally, and then see how it affects us spiritually. Not only has the television show, Hoarders, inspired this blog; but it’s a personal process I am working through also. It’s not materialistic accumulation I’m trying to eliminate, it’s the spiritual build-up.

According to the International OCD Foundation, compulsive hoarding has ALL three of the following:

• A person collects and keeps a lot of items, even things that appear useless or of little value to most people, and
• These items clutter the living spaces and keep the person from using their rooms as they were intended, and
• These items cause distress or problems in day-to-day activities.

As I watch the show, it breaks my heart to see the emotional and mental trauma hoarders experience. There are also examples of legal turmoil when a hoarder can’t pass inspection and the house is placed on  a delinquent list. It’s like sealing your fingers with crazy glue and trying to pry them open. You’ll find out that’s not easy to do, because you now have a messy, sticky situation on your hands. It consumes your life and interrupts normal activity. It's hazardous to one's health and causes discomfort between family and friends.

The detrimental thing behind being a spiritual hoarder is you cannot see the clutter in your life with your natural eyes. Everything looks clean. You have no evidence to show that you are accumulating junk. Think about it for a second. What does anger look like? What does rejection look like? What does hate look like? What does jealousy look like?

By just looking at someone, you cannot always determine if that person is a spiritual hoarder. We talk about having discernment in the body of Christ. That is definitely necessary. It’s a spiritual gift. But here is the troubling fact. What happens when you don’t have spiritual discernment on yourself?

While you can see the tangible items in a hoarder’s domain, you cannot always see the items in your spiritual domain. It takes the Holy Spirit to shed light on the areas that are of no value, and need purging. The pain that you are hoarding against the people you can’t forgive may feel valuable to you, but there’s a strong chance that it’s useless to those people. They have moved on with their lives, while you are still struggling to free yourself from the crazy glue.

As stated by the International OCD Foundation, “hoarding can be more about fear of throwing something away than about collection or saving. Thinking about discarding an item triggers anxiety in the hoarder, so she hangs on to the item to prevent angst.”

Just like natural hoarding is not resolved by simply cleaning out a domain; that is also true for spiritual hoarding. Look at what happened to the man in this passage of scripture.

“When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first” (Matthew 12:43-45).

It is commendable that the man took time to clean up. But something drastic took place. He didn’t fill the empty house with anything. It was not spiritually furnished with the right stuff. When something is empty, anything can infiltrate that space – whether it’s good or bad, pretty or ugly. So, when God purges you, ask Him to fill your empty spaces with proper substance, such as the fruit of the Spirit.

Here is another critical passage.

“Then he told them this story: “The farm of a certain rich man produced a terrific crop. He talked to himself: ‘What can I do? My barn isn’t big enough for this harvest.’ Then he said, ‘Here’s what I’ll do: I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll gather in all my grain and goods, and I’ll say to myself, Self, you’ve done well! You’ve got it made and can now retire. Take it easy and have the time of your life!’ Just then God showed up and said, ‘Fool! Tonight you die. And your barnful of goods—who gets it?’ “That’s what happens when you fill your barn with Self and not with God” (Luke 12:16-21, MSG).

This farmer turned a good thing into something terrible. He definitely reaped a harvest, which is a spiritual principle for those who sow. But based on God's reaction to him, it was not God's perfect will for him to store up the amount of goods he had the way he did. He basked in his abundance of wealth. Apparently, everything that he valued was not valued in the eyesight of God. Futhermore, he kept his blessing to himself; he wasn't content; and he glorified himself.

What would God say to you right now if he looked at your barn? Would He be pleased with what you are storing up? What condition are you currently in if God required your life today?

These are valid questions to address if you want to free yourself from spiritual hoarding. What must you do? The first is to admit that there is a problem. The second is to assess the problem, and see how much damage has been done in your life and the life of others who are in your intimate circle of influence. The third is to not expand on your buildup, but shrink it by letting God strip you however He pleases. The last is to make godly replacements. Don’t allow the enemy to furnish you with more clutter.

Just as natural homes are staged to sell quickly and for more money, let God stage your house and be pleased with what He sees. Therefore, I don’t know about you, but I’m working on clearing out my spiritual domain and maintaining a clean temple that consists of godly replacements.

In conclusion, what you’re holding on to may be making you a ‘fool’ (Luke 12:20). So, with this download from God, I want to be wise, not foolish.

Thanks for reading. Stay tuned for my next topic – Relationships and Time Management.

Listen to Your Heart

It's hard to believe that I have not posted any message to my blog in two years. The trials I have experienced and continue to endure are remarkable and utterly painful; yet I know that weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Pilots must have knowledge and training to handle turbulence and that is the same hope I have in God. He has blessed me with an abundance of patience to go through the fire. But with assurance, I am confident that I will one day reap with joy for the tears that I have sown.

I watched this wonderful movie that is titled, Listen to Your Heart. It's about a young hearing man named Danny who falls in love with a Deaf woman named Sam, who was a college student. Danny was a musician and a waiter. Sam also had the same love of music. Through his first orientation, he did not recognize her deafness, so he happily shared his number and waited for her call. Unfortunately time passed, and he became discouraged when he had no correspondence for two weeks. Suddenly she walks into his place of employment one day and Danny learns that it was not her intention to not call. She was unable to do so because she did not have a phone and her controlling mother never learned sign language to communicate with her to give her the respect that she deserved as a person with purpose. Nevertheless, he finds himself falling in love despite the cultural differences of the hearing and deaf community.

To his surprise, his best friend Roger discourages him from making that so called mistake. The next statement he made was extremely powerful and ministered to me immediately. He said, "I am not going to miss out on something great simply because it is hard." He made a lifestyle adjustment. While he only knew how to sign his name at first, their love grew and he became fluent and respected her culture. As Danny realized that it would be an obstacle, he was willing to try and succeed. He wasn't going to give up on chasing a plan of his, which was to find true love; and Sam wasn't going to give up her passion of true love by standing by his side as he lived a content life while he unknowingly battled cancer. Unfortunately, Sam's mother did not approve because Danny did not fit into her aristocratic ideology. Therefore, she invited another young wealthy man to meet Sam to sweep her off of her, but she finds herself being forcefully seduced to the potential point of rape. To the mother's disappointment, Sam clearly rejected her input and decided that she was satisfied in knowing that Danny was the one.

She was reared her entire life listening to others, but through Danny's experience of listening to his heart, she realized that it was time for her to do the same. She no longer wanted others to control her destiny by determining what it should be or how it should be achieved. Therefore, she undergoes the surgery for the cochlear implant against her mother's approval to regain her ability to hear again which she lost at an elementary age. At once, she was disturbed when she perceived sound from the world after such a long time, but she learned to adjust with joy and was comforted with experiencing life - the greatest lesson that Danny taught her, learning how to listen to her heart. She chose to hear rather than remain deaf. She chose to pursue music rather than follow after her mother's commands. She learned to put her wealthy welfare aside to live a common life, one that she cherished more than anything else. And she learned how to no longer exist through an interpreter and chose to speak for herself.

On one particular evening, a fashionable soiree was held without Danny's presence. When he learned of Sam's place of residence, he crashed the party with a tee-shirt and jeans, an attire which rebelled against the suits and dresses of the attendees. When Danny walked in, everyone immediately recognized that he did not belong simply because of his appearance. Once he was located by Sam's mother, she intervened and spoke without Sam's permission to tell Danny that she no longer wanted him. At that very moment, Sam beautifully walks down the stairs and sees Danny, whom she imagined had fallen out of love with her. During her summer vacation from college, he wrote letters that were hidden from Sam by her mother. While Danny verbally pursues her in front of everyone, Sam turns her back on him and security harshly removes him from the party.

Isn't destiny great; yet hard to achieve? I don't know about you, but I am determined to overcome the stumbling blocks that people have placed in my life to prevent me from possessing something great...my destiny. The price to do so will cost you, but keep your eyes on the prize. Take the time to have joy in God’s Word knowing that He will comfort you in the midst of pain, tribulation, or whatever obstacle you must overcome to obtain something great no matter how loud or discomforting it may be. People will judge you on how you should look on your destiny path. You may not fit into their mold, as David did not fit into the image to become king. Ultimately, Jesus did not fit into the image of being Savior of the world. But forsaking destiny was not an option for neither one of them.

Don't make the same mistake that I made: being the sounding boarding to work on everyone else's plan and place them in position to do their destiny assignment while I neglected myself, my purpose and paid a hefty price, having to endure ridicule, sabotage, backlash and mental and emotional torment. I encourage you to surround yourself with individuals who will love you in the way that you need to be loved, who will respect the culture of your communicative language and operate with ease to help you plant both feet in the place of God rather than those who are determined to intentionally make the ride bumpy and agonizing. Don't allow others to speak into existence what your destiny should be by keeping you bound and tied to the cosmic appearance of their "aristocratic" view of you, which really is an extremely poor outlook on what God has purposed for His plan for you.

Listen to your heart. Why? Because that is where God's word is hidden. Unfortunately, if you take time to listen to the enemy and his cohorts, he will cause you to lose the most amazing thing that you have, the meaning behind your existence.

Wait!

"Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it." (Psalm 37:34)

Waiting on the Lord does not equate to idleness. It involves a submissive spirit that is willing to undergo the process that is needed in order for transition to take place. I know there are many of my bloggers and readers that say they are waiting on the Lord. You may be waiting for a blessing or an answer to a prayer. However, how do you wait? Do you wait in frustration? With impatience? With anticipation? With fear? Do you place God on a timeline to perform the unexpected, or do you wait believing that the unexpected will be performed in His timing?

There are many variables involved in this matter and it takes personal exploration to determine how your life is affected by waiting on the Lord. Many biblical characters had to go through a waiting process before the blessings of the Lord matriculated in their lives. If you are struggling in this area, I encourage you to remember the following acronym that the Lord has given me:

Watch - Take the time to see signs of God moving in your life. Although it may not be in the way that you want it to be, find Him moving in the smaller things in life - the things that are often overlooked and unappreciated.

Anticipate - Don't be bored in the process. Have a spirit of expectancy and believe that God is working things out in your favor.

Invest - Consolidate your resources and invest in something that is time consuming. For me, that involves writing. For others, it may involve another hobby or trait that will allow you to pass the time wisely and constructively.

Transition - Use the time to evolve into who God wants you to be. One of the greatest areas God wants to work upon while we wait on Him is our hearts. He wants to prepare our hearts to receive the blessings that He has in store for us.

So, as you wait on the Lord, take the time to reflect upon His goodness. Please note that He desires a more intimate relationship with you as you go through your process. Don't overlook God and don't allow your frustrations to cause you to miss your blessing. Once the wait it over, you will know that it was all worth it!

Command Your Dreams

I recently watched the movie, "The Dolphin - The Story of a Dreamer". This movie was inspirational and confirmed everything in this season of my life. I have seen how people's dreams are suppressed, killed or simply snatched from them. We all know about the "glass ceiling" concept that is based on attitudinal or organizational bias in the work force to prevent minorities and women from advancing to leadership positions. Well, I want to inform you that there are also celestial barriers that are emotionally, spiritually and physically setup to bind or hinder the prayers, blessings and dreams of individuals. This movie may be animated, but it is a real depiction of what happens in life. More specifically, it happens in the body of Christ.

It's about sea creatures who live in a world where dreams are forbidden. The rules prevent them from leaving the lagoon and experiencing life beyond what is familiar. All they know is their comfort zone and those who have been in the same comfort zone. However, there is one who dares to forsake the rules that hold him bound. His name is Daniel Alexander Dolphin and he inspired this personal poem. I pray that it encourages you to dream. However, my greatest prayer for you is that you will be able to see and identify those individuals or factors that prevent you from dreaming.

Daniel Alexander Dolphin was a dreamer; yet, he had to push past the negativity of his own circle of influence and the voices that sought to prophesy falsely concerning his destiny. He had to push past the threat of never being welcomed back to his place of familiarity for jumping the lagoon. He had to push past the fear of surfing the perfect wave! Watch the movie and have the determination to not allow your dreams to die. Don't allow the enemy to deceive you. There are real complications that can surround your purpose and your destiny and they come in the form of spiritual abortions and spiritual miscarriages.