Who Am I?

Who Am I?

Who am I? This is an important question to ask oneself at various points in our walk with God. Who am I? Who am I becoming? Why do I do the things I do? If we are not looking to be better, than we will always stay the same. Oftentimes it is a person in our life that might point out our flaws, and whether it is a true assessment bares self-reflection. We must have a teachable spirit, or the spirit of meekness, if we are going to grow beyond where we are in our current troubles. It is interesting to me that two particularly important people in my life are both teaching on the B attitudes in Matthew 5. We should always notice these kinds of things in our walk with God and realize, He is teaching us something for this moment in our lives.

          I hate and I mean hate to feel like someone is feeling sorry for me. To me it is the worst feeling because it makes me feel weak and pitiful. I have no desire to tell people all my problems or to have a "Woeamony" but sometimes in our lives we need to feel free to share our pain. I have been in the greatest season of loss in my life. I have lost everything in my life at least once and somethings twice. Loss leaves you raw and open and vulnerable. People are mostly kind but then some are not. Or they are kind for a season and then they do not know what to do with you. You do not even know what to do with you…

          There is a purpose for the pain. I heard a message recently that it is the pain that prepares you for the calling. It is in the pain that the anointing comes into your life. The pain keeps you humble. The pain teaches you what gain cannot teach you. We need the pain to ground us and to teach us to cry out to God in our despair. I will never be the same person from this season of loss in my life. I know it is teaching me how to love others when they reach this season in their own lives. This season has taught me to re-evaluate everything in my life. Who am I?

          I would have to say that in this season, I have had an identity crisis. Losing everything you hold dear, your parents, your job, your cars, your finances, and seemingly your identity teaches you to cry out to God. I am not those things of course but in a lot of ways they define us. Society teaches us that we are these things: relationships, careers, what we drive and how much money we have in the bank. But God! He has a new identity for our lives. We are not defined by this world. If no one loves you, if you have no job, car or money, God is still the one who defines us.

          A dear friend came and ministered at the church recently, she said we are the King’s daughter, and we can come boldly into His throne room and ask for what we need because we are His child. We are royal blood; we have been bought with a price and we are of value to the King of Kings. So, who you are is not defined by any one’s perception of who you are, for you are His!

          In understanding that you belong to the King it is not a bad thing to want to become who God has called you to become. Deep calls to deep. What does that mean? It means God is calling us to a deeper walk of prayer. There is a price to be paid for walking at this new level. Many will not go with you. Most will not understand you. Some will seek to hurt you and tear you down. But God! He has a plan, and we must trust Him in this plan. Do you want that anointing? Or do you want to stay in the same place? There is a price to pay. Prayer and a consecrated life will cost you everything.

          Let us get back to the B attitudes. What does it mean to be meek? Matthew 5:5 To be meek is to have a humble and submissive spirit before God. It is one who has a teachable spirit. To be humble is knowing that everything you have is because God did it in your life. You know it is not you. It is not your talents or your abilities, but it is God working through you for His glory. Submission is following the lead of a man of God in our lives a pastor who leads us according to the Word of God. We must be submitted to have any authority in the Spirit in our walk with God. We cannot do it alone. We are not the lone ranger, although that is exactly what the enemy tries to make us feel is alone. We are not alone, and we must trust those God has placed in leadership over our lives.

          In realizing all these things, it is not a bad thing to want to step into the deep to become who God has called you to become. It is not a bad thing to dream again! Maybe you have pushed down your dreams and callings, because you thought you could not attain it, or maybe you have felt inadequate. Possibly you have let yourself become a people pleaser, (which is really a disease) and you have allowed your worth to be in pleasing them. It is possible you may have lost yourself somewhere along the way. Seeking the approval of others to define you, will cripple you. We can be humble, meek, and submissive and still have our own identity in Christ. Your calling and my calling are not dependent on someone else seeing your worth.

          God equips those He calls. He opens all the doors, and He shuts doors too. Every open door means, another door must close. So, turn around behind you and shut the door, so you will not walk backwards. You are meant to keep moving forward, just as a river keeps flowing forward so must you. Walk with assurance (the word God gave me for 2021) and know that you are His child, your calling is your own, you are worth more than you can imagine, and the cost of anointing will cost you. Do not allow your programming to let you believe you cannot be who God has called you to become. Allow God to wash over you if you are in a season of loss. Know that you can and will become all that He has called you to, if you will keep seeking Him first in all you do.

          Let God have your weaknesses. Trust Him with your failures. Give Him your life and let Him make you over for His glory. Seek no honor. Serve with your whole heart. Do unto others as you would have done unto you. Trust Him in the process. Know you are royal blood. Keep your head up. Be willing to learn from criticism. Hold fast to your promises. He will never leave or forsake you. Be encouraged. Opposition breeds godly character. God can handle all your sorrow. And for the record, You are not alone! Do the work that it takes to become whole or to become whole again! (Spend time in prayer, fasting, the Word, self-evaluation) 

Who am I? I am His!

 

 

  

The Pressing of Anointing

The Pressing of Anointing

"But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him."I John 2:27

I heard it said recently, that, “the gifts and callings of God are without repentance but that the anointing of God is flexible.” I never want to be so full of iniquity in my own self that I cannot recognize my lack of anointing just because God has gifted me in the Holy Ghost. Lord that we never walk to our own understanding and to the beat of our own drum. The Lord has been dealing with me on the price of anointing for over a month. 

I think I want to understand fully why anointing oil is so important and it has been something that has been on my heart the last several weeks. What is it? How do I get it? And most importantly, how do I keep it? I do not think there is any person that wants to pray for someone and not see our prayers answered. But as an anointed vessel of God, we should always be seeking to have understanding so that we do not become stagnant in our approach to prayer.

I found this initial idea of anointing on google and it does seem to sum it up well:

“The primary purpose of anointing with the holy anointing oil was to sanctify, to set the anointed person or object apart as qodesh, or "holy" (Exodus 30:29). Originally, the oil was used exclusively for the priests and the Tabernacle articles, but its use was later extended to include kings (I Samuel 10:1)”

What is the Oil?

The oil is what we transfer to another when we pray for them. The transliteration of anointing comes from the word Chrisma which means a consecrated oil, and for us to understand would mean a holy and separate oil. For we truly are the oil. The oil that is poured out is the oil of the Holy Ghost, but we must be the ones who allow it to be pure. Think of it as a strainer, straining out the impurities and all the junk is removed and now you have pure oil. It is the same oil before it was strained but without the straining (life of separation and holiness) our oil becomes muddy. We as a conduit of the Holy Ghost if we are allowing sin to be resident in our lives, we then block the flow of the Holy Ghost being able to operate most effectively in our lives.

How is the Oil Applied?

The Strong’s concordance defines oil as, “anything that is smeared on, prepared by the Hebrews from oil and aromatic herbs. Anointing was the inaugural ceremony for priests.” A smearing is a special endowment of the Holy Ghost, anointing and unction. As we might say, walking in the Holy Ghost. I love the definition that it is a smearing because honestly that is what it feels like when you pray for someone. It is like a part of you is rubbed off on the person you are praying for and that is why we must be consecrated if we are praying for others. We apply it to others when we step out in faith and lay hands on the sick, those who need a deliverance, or those seeking the Holy Ghost. BUT we cannot walk in this anointing without being fully committed and submitted to the man of God in our lives. You may walk in the Holy Ghost somewhat without submission because those gifts are without repentance but are you walking in true anointing without it? I would say you cannot, and you must understand submission before you can truly be an anointed vessel.

The Pressing

David was the anointed king, but he understood his place and that he would not usurp his authority in his life. David was pressed! With anointing comes a pressing, just as oil comes out of olives in an olive press, so is the anointing of the Holy Ghost. The anointing presses you and refines you, so that you can be smeared on someone who needs the presence of God in their lives.

Smear = to overspread with something unctuous, vicious, or adhesive. Which is to mean walking in the unction of the Holy Ghost, and the violent take it by force.

So, the anointing oil is then pressed from you, smeared, and then adhered to someone else! What an awesome responsibility to those of us who are living with this knowledge. So, do you think your oil is going to effective, if you are living in two worlds? Or even if you are not “sinning” but are not praying, do you think your oil will have much affect?

Too often we as Apostolic Christians rely on the presence of God that we feel in our church services. We sometimes allow ourselves to believe we are living how we should because we feel God’s presence when we come to church. Here is the deal though, someone paid the price for the presence you feel in their personal prayer room. So, if the presence we feel is great, how much more would it be if we too sold out to prayer?

It is going to be a lot. It is going to cost you time. It is going to cost you often friends, family, and entertainment. It is going to be rough. You will often feel alone. You will maybe feel like giving up! You might feel defeated at times. Hell will definitely come at you in your life. But as they say if nothing is coming against you then you are not doing much in prayer. That is not to be critical or to discourage you but just to let you know you are on the right track.

The pressing truly is a life of intercessory prayer. The oil comes from the pressing in the spirit. It is not something you can manufacture. You cannot imitate the anointing. It cannot be bought. It cannot be reasoned out in your mind. For this pressing and anointing comes from God. The more you seek Him, the more you will find Him.

My Testimony

I have many things that God has set me free from and where He has delivered me. This testimony is about Him pressing me in prayer. I am just being honest when I say, many times in my life I have dropped the ball in prayer. All the while in His beautiful way that Jesus does, He kept calling me to more prayer. If I am completely honest, I knew it, felt it, heard it, but shied away from it. Why? I know the price. And honestly the life of intercessory prayer is a burden. I mean a literal burden, it presses you, wakes you up in the night, disrupts your ideas on how life should be, etc etc etc.

I made a lot of excuses and had feared the price. But Jesus never gives up on us. He does not badger us, but He leads us in love. He then shows us why we need to do what He is asking.

I had a lot of things going on in my life in February 2020 and God showed me that if I would not pray, then who would? Was I willing to allow people to go to Hell because I would not pray? God sent a minister to me and He spoke over my life about my anointing and calling. I am not going to lie ya’ll it was a lot. It daunts me at times and I sure do not feel worthy of the calling. Yet, we must get out of our own heads and know, nope you cannot do it at all. It never will be you who does it and if we are a willing, consecrated, sold out vessel, then yes God can use us.

He zapped me if you will and I said "OK Lord, this time I sell out for real." I am not saying I was not sold out; I am saying I had to sell out to the Lord’s timing. I had to sell out to my thought processes and let Him have control. I could not fear prayer because of the hell it might bring in my life. Let me tell you it has too! You know what though? It is worth it! I have seen like 900 prayers answered since I sold out to prayer. So I guess what I am saying is yes you can be sold out to Jesus, but until we are sold out to prayer, our anointing will not have much affect and we will feel like we are spinning our wheels and going nowhere.

Accessing the Right Oil

These are key component to accessing the right oil in our lives not in any specific order just how they came to me:

1)    Are you praying?

2)    Are you submitted to your pastor?  

3)    Have you allowed your pastor veto power in your life?

4)    Who are you following?

5)    What are you feeding your soul? Movies, music, entertainment etc.

6)    Who are you letting speak into your life?

7)    Do you have a teachable spirit?

8)    Are you looking for faults in others?

9)    Can you handle rejection?

10)   Will you trust the voice of God?

11)    Are you humble?

12)    Are you consumed with the opinions of others?

13)    Can you trust God in your failures?

14)    Do you think you have to be perfect?

15)    Are you faithful to the things of God and His house?

16)    Will you obey the voice of God?

17)     Can you stand alone?

18)     Can you stand with others?

19)     Do you seek recognition?

20)     Are you looking for a title or position?

21)     What are your motives?

22)     What drives you?

23)     Are you willing to pay the cost for anointing?

24)     Do you trust others?

25)     Do you trust God?

26)     Do you trust yourself?

27)     Can you see beyond self to others?

28)     Can you live a life of forgiveness?

29)     Are you willing to ask for forgiveness?

30)      Are you leading anyone to Jesus?

31)      Are you seeking souls for the Kingdom?

32)      Would you die for Jesus?

33)      Do you have to always be right?

34)      Can you keep the trust of others?

I know I fall short in many of these areas. It truly is a lifelong journey to obtain the fruit of the spirit in these aspects. I am not saying this list is complete either, but it is meant to provoke you to think and assess your own life. To have true anointing, we must be sold out, consecrated, willing to see our own faults, and willing to give them to the Lord so He can make us over for His glory.

A Cost of Anointing

We cannot walk alone and be an island unto ourselves but there are many times in seasons of our lives that we will walk alone with the Lord. Why? Well honestly, I think it is because sometimes people in our lives cannot go where we are going, or they will not go, or they just are not there yet. The Lord will leave us alone, so that He can continue to press us and work things out of us. I long for the day that I can have a husband who walks beside me and me beside him. There is something to walking with someone who knows you, hears the same voice from God, and is seeking the same things in God. Yet, I feel even in marriage there will be times we feel alone and that really is a sign that God is trying to speak to us. He is trying to prepare you for the calling on your life. The cost of anointing is self… losing your identity and becoming the vessel He has called you to become.

The Reward of Anointing

1)    Souls are saved

2)    People are set free and delivered

3)    Signs, wonders, and miracles

4)    A life where you are not bound by sin

Souls being saved is the reward of an effectual soul winner. We want to see souls saved! We want to see revival! We do not want to be shallow in our walk with God, for we only fool ourselves and no one else. Nothing is scarier than being outside the will of God. Nothing drives me more than knowing my life can affect souls being saved or that once they are in the church, I can affect their understanding of who they are in Jesus. There is a weight and responsibility to knowing you can make or break someone in the Kingdom of God. Your life can affect someone to the cross or away from the cross.

Anointing does not come over night and it will never come by accident. Jacob purposely sought the blessing from his father. He might not have done it the right way, but he was after the things of God. In the end, God said. “Jacob have I loved, and Esau have I hated.” Why? Because Esau cared nothing for the things of God. It might have been his birthright or his “calling” but he sold out for the blessings of God for a bowl of porridge and missed his calling. No soul winner accidentally reaches for souls. Everything we purpose in our hearts for the Kingdom will come to pass if we seek first the Kingdom and His righteousness. "But Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matthew 6:33

Negative vs. Positive

There will be some negativity that comes against you and honestly that’s just par for the course. If we run the race with patience we will win. We must be patient with ourselves and others. You may be misunderstood. Others may be jealous of your anointing but that is really because they do not really understand what it is, or they would not be jealous of you. You may have a target at times on your back but that is because your anointing shines in the darkness. People will not know what to do with you. But do not give up hope! There is so much more positive than there is negative. Look at the negative as a time to reflect. Ask yourself the hard questions I listed? Be willing to take constructive criticism. Learn to tune into the right voices and not to be overcome by the negative voices. The enemy will seek to steal your anointing, but he can only have it, if you stop praying and you let him have it and give up in defeat.

So, keep praying, keep pressing in the Holy Ghost, do not be discouraged and know that no matter what the weapon is we win!

The Balance

Pray for wisdom for those who pray for it will receive it liberally. Pray for knowledge of the word of God and then allow the wisdom of God to guide you in that knowledge. Be wiling to learn, be teachable, and be faithful. Be careful who you let speak into your life, but also be careful not to wall yourself off to others. Know that most people truly want the best for you but pray for discernment, “the ability to know what is right and almost right.”

Do not be afraid to cry out to the Lord. Seek Him early and seek Him often. Seek wise counsel, stay submitted to your pastor, and be listening to the voice of God to lead you. The life of anointing cost you everything but if you lose your life to Christ you will gain it and great is your reward in Him. The life of walking in anointing is worth the fight! The reward is Heaven! The reward is well done thou good and faithful servant! The reward is the people you take with you to Heaven!

Your anointing is worth the tears, the pressing, the loneliness, being misunderstood, the anguish, the doubts, and your fears. Anointing costs you everything but in the end, you gain everything and more!

Looking for Answers?

Today, I speak peace in the midst of the storm, and I release the gift of faith on every person reading this article. I know that there is nothing that God cannot do! In the name of Jesus let your Word go forth and fall on fertile ground.

It is true, there is so much turmoil in the world today. There is a crazy virus running loose and people are scared. Is this the end times? Is Jesus coming back? Will we go through the tribulation? What’s really going on? It is why I was asked to even write this article to begin with. I have not covered every aspect of the Word of God but that is not the point of this article, the point is to point you in the right direction for salvation. The point is to share with you how to be ready for His coming. It is my hope that when you walk away from reading this article you will have a foundation of knowledge of a few things:

1) God is our creator

2) There is only one God

3) Jesus is the name of God

4) God robed himself as flesh and came to die for us

5) What I must do to be saved?

6) What are the signs of the time?

7) How can I be ready?

The Beginning:

First and foremost, let’s start at the beginning.

Gen 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

We ask questions like, “Who is God? Did the big bang theory happen? Why am I here?” Simply put God created the heavens and the earth. There is no truth in the big bang theory, other than God spoke and it happened. We are here to have a relationship with God, and I will attempt to lay this out throughout the article. We must believe the very first scripture to know that He is God. This is the foundation for the rest of the Word of God. We must believe it to be true in order to know that He is the one true and only God. With that established we can then know that if one part of the Word of God is true, then it is all true and that Word is for us to be saved.

We must believe that very first scripture, or how can we believe the rest? Right here we see “GOD” created. We don’t see three Gods, such as the belief in the father, son, and Holy ghost as being three persons in God. It simply says, “GOD”. There is only one God.

Deuteronomy 6:4 “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord:”

The name of God was not revealed in the Old Testament but it is clear that there is only one God. There is no mention of more than one all throughout the scriptures. It wasn’t until we get to the New Testament that we know that Jesus is God. He came and robed himself in flesh.

John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

 I Timothy 3:16 “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”

In the New Testament it states in Acts 4:12 “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

Again, this is pretty simple, God created the heavens and the earth, and there is only one God. There is one who sits upon the throne at the end of time.

Revelation 4:2 “And immediately I was in the spirit: and behold, a throne was set in the heaven, and one sat on the throne.”

In Summary: God created the heavens and the earth. There is only one God. His name is revealed in the New Testament as Jesus, the only saving name. The “Word” in the Greek is translated as Logos which is the voice of God, it denotes in John 1:1 as the essential Word of God, embodied in Jesus Christ, who is the creator of the universe.

Salvation:

Now that we know who He is. What must we do to be saved? Jesus answered this question when a ruler named Nicodemus came to Him at night.

John 3:3 “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

His response is what we would have thought too.

John 3:4 “Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?”

Here is Jesus’ response.

John 3:5-8 “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of the water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 

The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”

Too often people bypass these scriptures and go straight to this scripture and take it out of context:

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Nothing is diminished here! Jesus already commanded that we had to be born of the water and the spirit. He describes the Holy ghost which at this point had not been poured out, as wind and it cometh and it goeth. Here Jesus is saying in John 3:16 that we must believe what He just taught us and then we can be saved. Believing isn’t the only step it is just the first step. If you don’t believe the Word of God is true and that Jesus is God, it is going to be pretty hard to be born of the water (baptism) and the spirit (the outpouring of the Holy Ghost).

Now that we know what we are to do, how can it be implemented in our current lives? Jesus died for our sins on the cross, he was buried in the tomb, and then He rose again on the third day. (We will bring out more of this further on) After He rose he told them to go and tarry in Jerusalem and wait for the promise.

Luke 24:49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

The disciples, Mary the mother of Jesus and many others a total of 120 people began to pray in Jerusalem for the promise of the Holy Ghost. And then it happened! The spirit of God was poured out on all the people in the upper room.

Acts 2:1-4 “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

The presence of the Lord and the tongues were so loud that it spilled out into the streets. People from all over town came to see what was going on in the upper room. Peter was the rock of the church and Jesus had given him the authority over the church before he left and ascended up into heaven. This is important because, Peter had the authority to tell people how to be saved. He preached a sermon and he referred to an old prophecy of Joel and that it was the fulfillment of that prophecy.

Acts 2:15-21 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.

 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;“And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Of course the people were amazed and they asked a simple question, what must we do to be saved? These were the very same people who probably followed him when he did signs, wonders and miracles. They are the same people who cried, crucify him!

Acts 2:36-39 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

(SALVATION) Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

SALVATION!!!!!! Death, Burial, and Resurrection

(Repentance) We must repent, this is a turning away from sin. We cannot remember all that we have done wrong and we might not even know some things we have done are sin. We can simply say, “Lord please forgive me of all my sins and help me to live a life unto you!” Repentance is death to self. We identify with Jesus as he died on the cross for our sins. We must continually build and altar daily to as for forgiveness of sins.

(Baptism) We have to be baptized in the NAME OF JESUS! No other way of baptism formula is in the bible. We can find in Acts 2, 8, 10, & 19 all instances where they were baptized in the name of Jesus. This is the water that Jesus was talking about. Jesus also said in Matthew 28:19 to go ye therefore baptizing them in the name… There is no other name whereby we must be saved, Acts 4:12 as mentioned above. Why the name? It is how we identify with his burial. We are buried with him in baptism.

Romans 6:4 “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

Our sins can only be remitted by His blood. When we are baptized the name of Jesus is applied to our lives. We are marked as his and we are adopted into the bloodline of Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 1:4-5 “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will”

(Holy Ghost) We have already established what the holy ghost is the speaking in tongues (Acts 2:4) We also know that this is the spirit that Jesus spoke of in (John 3:5). We have to be born of the water and the spirit in order to be saved. Peter told us to be saved we had to obey (Acts 2:38). Now we can understand just as Jesus rose from the grave, we too shall rise to newness of life. The Holy Ghost is the resurrection of our souls. Without the Holy Ghost we cannot be saved! Jesus said it, Peter said it, and the Word of God plainly lays it out. It is up to us to respond to the gospel. Without the water and spirit, we shall not enter into, or see the Kingdom of God. The correct response to salvation is to obey the Word of God.

The End:

The end is truly upon us. I know many have heard this for years, and might have even said, well the rapture hasn’t happened yet, so I doubt it will. Sadly, that is bad information and the wrong way to look at living for the Lord. We are not guaranteed tomorrow. Your end could happen in a car accident, or a sickness unto death. We are appointed a time to die. The question is, will you die and go to be with the Lord in heaven? Or will you die and go hell with Satan? The choice is really ours. We have to be obedient to His word. To much is given much is required. We have a responsibility to know the Word of God for our own lives. We cannot stand before the Lord at judgement day for anyone else other than ourselves. We can reject truth, or we can embrace it! It really is that simple. We can go back and read the words of Jesus in (John 3:5) we will not see the kingdom or enter into the kingdom without the water and the spirit. I have explained this above, but I want to reiterate truth.

How can we know Jesus is ready to come?

Matthew 24:1-14
“And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.All these are the beginning of sorrows.Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”

In summary: There will be many false Christs, Wars and rumors of Wars, Nation against nation, Famines, Pestilences (Viruses, Plagues, etc), earthquakes in divers places (means many places). This is the beginning of sorrows. We will be hated for His names’ sake, which again an importance to be covered by His name in baptism. Then there will be more affliction and there will be hatred in the land for each other (such as racial tension). There will be many false prophets, which we have seen but there will be more. There will be hatred because there is iniquity in our hearts (iniquity is trying to do it our own way, to follow our own path, our own way to salvation, our own ideas). With iniquity in our hearts the love we had will wax cold, or the love we should have will never be in our lives. But if we endure, follow the plan of salvation, find a place of repentance, and seek the Lord’s will and not our own, we will be saved in the end. When the gospel is preached in all the world, then the end shall come.

Where are we right now? We are at plagues and pestilence. We are at hatred and iniquity. We are having strange weather patterns, and earthquakes all over the world. We are in the midst of a virus and God is using this to open the eyes of the world, that He is coming back soon! The church has been asleep and distracted, including myself. God has been awakening me truly for months, even before this virus came out. God is awakening the church and He is awakening those who are searching for the Lord. Honestly, the Lord could come back any day at this point. There are those being persecuted all around the world for his names’s sake. The only thing that is not 100% is the gospel being preached unto all nations but that too is upon us. A friend of mine Art Wilson has been doing bible studies at the United Nations for several years and many nations’ leaders have come to the salvation truth. The last I had heard at a conference was there were only 17 nations we were not preaching the gospel to around the world. With the United Nations and time, I am sure that number has decreased. The Lord is ready to come back for His bride. We the church are the bride of Christ.

How are we going to be caught up?

I Thessalonians 4:16-17 “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

Those who have the spirit of God living inside of them will be caught up to meet Him in the air. It is the Spirit of God (Holy Ghost evidenced by speaking in tongues) that will cause us to be lifted from the earth.

Steps in the Last Days – A Look Through Revelation

The Rapture: The next major event for believers (the Church) will be the "catching away" commonly called the Rapture (1 Thess.4:17). The Bible gives us no signs preceding the Rapture; however, many passages of Scripture indicate that it will happen at any moment (Matt. 24:36; Lk. 21:36; 1 Thess. 4:17; Rev. 3:10). All believers who have received salvation (Acts 2:38) who are alive, along with those who have died after the Day of Pentecost and before the Rapture, will be included in this event, we are the Bride of Christ. (I Thess. 4: 13-17). The resurrection of believers will occur at the Rapture. The word "rapture" comes from the Latin word rapera, which means to be "caught up" and this is the term used in 1 Thessalonians 4:17: "Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together...". The New Testament was originally written in Greek… the Greek word is harpazo. Those who miss the Rapture, by reason of rejecting (not believing in the salvation plan) Christ as Lord, will be on earth to face seven years of the most terrible events in Earth's and mankind's history. This time is called the Tribulation Period (Matt. 24:21).

The Judgment Seat of Christ: Paul affirms the judgment of every believer in 2 Corinthians 5:10… ―For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. It immediately follows, or will occur in conjunction with, the Rapture. This is when we will be rewarded according to our works on earth. This is not a judgement for our sins but rather a judgement for what we have done for Christ. This is when we will throw our crowns at his feet. Rev 4:10-11

The Marriage Supper of the Lamb: This event will occur in heaven after the Rapture, after the Judgment Seat of Christ, and before the Second Corning of Jesus Christ to Earth (Rev. 19:7-9). This time frame is realized because the Church ("caught up" believers) will return to Earth with Christ (Zech. 14:5; Col. 3:4; I Thess. 3:13; Jude 14; Rev. 19:7-9). Then the Bride of Christ (2 Cor. 11:2) will be represented by the term "wife" (Rev. 19:7). When we get to heaven we are going to eat and sup with the Lord before we go and fight the battle of Armageddon, when we with the Lord shall defeat Satan, and He will be cast into hell for a 1000 years. Rev. 20:2-3

The Second Coming of Christ:  The Second Coming of Christ is when Christ will split the eastern sky and return to Earth to set up His 5 millennium kingdom. It will be the most glorious event the world has ever seen (Read Rev. 19:11). The Church, aka – the Body of Christ—the wife of Christ will rule and reign with Christ during the earthly kingdom.

The Judgment of Nations:  The judgment of Gentiles will occur after the Tribulation Period and after the Second Coming of Christ. It will occur immediately after the Lord comes to the Earth to reign over His earthly kingdom (Matt. 25:31; Lk. 1:32). This judgment will be directed toward the gentile nations of people on Earth who help or do not help the children of Israel during the Tribulation Period because it is directed toward bringing the children of Israel to repentance. Those judged at this event will either be cast into the Lake of Fire or allowed to enter into the Millennial Reign, depending upon their actions toward "my brethren" (Read Matt. 25: 31-46). Those who aid the children of Israel (Jews) are represented as sheep in Matthew's Gospel account and those who do not help the Jews are represented by goats.

The Age of the Millennial Reign of Christ—Kingdom: This is the period when Christ Jesus will rule and reign upon the Earth from Jerusalem for 1,000 years. Those included in the Rapture will rule and reign with Him (Rom. 8:17; II Tim. 2:12). Today, the term "millennium" has overshadowed the use of the biblical term "kingdom." This is due to the mention of only the length of this period in Scripture, that is, the "one thousand years" of Revelation 20:1-5. The term is also used to minimize confusion between the spiritual and literal kingdoms of Christ. The Millennial Reign and the Kingdom have often been treated interchangeably. They are so called because Christ will set up a divine government on Earth over the nations of the world. It is the "thy kingdom come" of the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:10).

The Creation of the New Heaven and New Earth: After the dissolution of the present heaven and earth at the end of the millennium, God will create a new heaven and a new earth (Isa. 65:17; 66:22; 2 Pet. 3:13; Rev. 21:1). By a definite act of creation God calls into being a new heaven and a new earth. As God created the present heavens and earth to be the scene of His theocratic display, so God will create the new heavens and earth to be the scene of the eternal theocratic kingdom of God. Israel's covenants guarantee the people the land, a national existence, a kingdom, a King, and spiritual blessings in perpetuity. Therefore, there must be an eternal earth in which these blessings can be fulfilled. By a translation out of the old earth Israel will be brought into the new earth, there to enjoy forever all that God has promised to them. Then it shall be eternally true… as seen in Revelation 21:3 "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God." The creation of the new heavens and new earth is the final preparatory act anticipating the eternal kingdom of God. It will then be true, that God has a kingdom "wherein dwelleth righteousness."

Eternal Destiny of Believers:  In relation to the eternal destiny of believers, it is to be observed that their destiny primarily is related to a Person rather than a place. While the place looms with importance (John 14:3), the place is overshadowed by the Person into whose presence the believer is taken, as seen in these Scriptures:

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also (John 14:3).

When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory (Col. 3:4).

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord (1 Thess.4:16-17). Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; we shall see him as he is (1 John 3:2).

It is the Person who is emphasized in all the passages dealing with the glorious expectation of the Church rather than the place to which they are taken. We see, from passages such as Revelation 21:3 that the Lord Jesus Christ will be dwelling with men on the new earth in the eternal kingdom. Since Scripture reveals that the church will be with Christ, we can concluded that the eternal abode of the church will likewise be in the new earth, in that heavenly city—New Jerusalem, that has been especially prepared by God for the saints. Such a relationship would be the answer to the Lords Prayer for those God had given Him.

In Conclusion: We must know that God is our creator. There is one God and His name is Jesus, and He came and died, was buried and rose again. We are to follow the salvation plan of Jesus to be born of the water and the spirit. We identify with the death, burial, and resurrection by repenting, being baptized in Jesus name, and receiving the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues. There are warnings in the scriptures to let us know that Jesus is coming back for His bride. (Matt 24) We know that we have to follow the plan of salvation and be ready when He comes to take His bride home. No man knows the day or the hour that the Lord will come. We are to watch, look for the signs, and be ready to meet Him in the air. The chain of events following the rapture really are for those who miss the rapture because the church will already be gone. We can have an assurance in Jesus that if we follow the salvation plan, are obedient to His word, and seek Him first that we will make it in the rapture. We have nothing to fear because no matter how you look at it, we the church win! The rapture the catching away of the church will happen for the bride of Christ those who died after Pentecost and before the rapture and/or still living at rapture.

Revelation 21:4 “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”

If you are looking for the truth, looking for answers, and looking to find salvation. Feel free to contact me and I will point you to a church that can help you. My church website is www.alwchurch.com and my organization website is www.upci.org you can find me on facebook and message me on messenger as well or you can email me at maesong@gmail.com

How in the World do I Get Peace?

How in the world do I get peace? 

Phillipians 4:4-8

What is peace and how do I obtain it? It is a fruit of the spirit and we must go through turmoil and overcome to obtain this fruit. If our lives were perfect and we never faced adversity we would be stagnant Christians, content to stand still and do nothing. It is human nature to not like change and growth. In fact, I don’t like it much at all. Yet, at the same time I don’t want to stand still in my spirit it is the flesh that is unwilling to move but with the spirit flowing in us like a river we are ever moving forward, or we will die.

The Lord spoke to me in a beautiful way this week about His peace and that He had given it to me. God can give it to us, but we must receive it from Him, in order to obtain it. If I were to receive a birthday present from a friend or family member and then never took the gift home, did I really receive it? I would have to answer no. I think we often leave the gifts the Lord gives us on the table. What have you left on your spiritual table?

When you are headed in the right direction, I promise you will face opposition. Oftentimes from those who mean the most to you. This has happened a few times in my life, but I know that through every situation God has helped me to grow into who He desires me to become. I often fall short and I am truly my greatest critic. Yet, He has something more even in my criticism for me and for you. He has perfect peace in the midst of your storm.

There is something to the familiar statement, “He gives us peace in the storm.” He is our help and from whom I am nothing without Him. You may be misunderstood, you may be walking a lonely journey in your personal wilderness, or you may be facing financial, personal, and health issues. But I am here to tell you today, that God is with you in that storm. You may be in great sorrow, but joy comes in the morning. I for one have had to depend on this promise from the Lord a lot the past few years.

I truly don’t understand and yet do understand the process that God has had me in for the last few years. I have had to solely depend on the Lord. It has been a very humbling and humiliating experience and I am still in the midst of this trial. Yet, my God is faithful, and He has never left me or forsaken me in my sorrow. It has been a lonely walk and an enlightening walk as well. If we always do the same things, we always get the same results. God has been calling me to a higher calling and that road is a broken road, it is paved with broken glass, broken ideals, and a broken spirit. I am not bitter or upset at anyone, but God has used circumstances to show me that I have to truly die to self and to not stand in the way of the Lord.

The Lord is calling me and you to a life of deeper consecration and prayer. He is calling us to obedience to His word, but also to His voice. Without obedience to the word, His voice, and to our leadership in our lives we will stand still. It is imperative that we heed the voice of obedience in our lives. Maybe this blog won’t hit home for you now but it will hit home at some point in your walk with God and hopefully this blog will come to mind and help you to walk the journey and know that there is peace and understanding on the other side, in the morning.

I want to warn you that when you get serious about becoming who God has called you to be all hell will break loose! But that is when you know you are headed in the right direction. I want to share some of the distractions the enemy will use to misdirect your life from fulfilling your calling:

Miscommunication of your words, 

Misconception of your actions and integrity called into action, 

Hurt Feelings, 

Sickness in your body or a loved one,  

Personal attack on character and lies, 

If you are single many opportunities with the wrong type of person,

 Made to feel alienated and alone and loneliness, 

Constant mind warfare replaying any and all these distractions in your mind,

 Depression and sometimes anxiety, 

Fear and inadequacy.

How do we counteract these distractions? I can honestly tell you that it is not easy, but I know it will be worth it all in the end to see souls saved and lives changed. If will faint not, we shall surely reap! I guess it is here I will be candid about some of the things going on in my life. If we always seem like we have it all together, how can we truly help anyone? I for one am tired of the enemy coming against me and you! It is my hope that through this blog that you will gain some peace and know that you are not alone in your struggle.

Here is my story: I lost my job sadly to say about 2 years ago now. I have filled out 100's of applications, and have probably been on 15 job interviews, with no job in the horizon. My car was re-possessed about a year and a half ago and I have had to depend solely on the kindness of others. This has probably been my hardest trial to have to give up my independence! This has truly not been easy. My parents are both ill and have faced many trials. I have had the attack on my mind continually, no matter the prayer, the fasting, and the word. I have felt useless, helpless and alone. BUT God! I have not wavered in my faith in Him, for He owns all the cattle on 1000 hills.

I don’t know how He has done it, but He has kept me. I have been blessed beyond measure and He allowed me to start a small food business. It has had its ebbs and flows, but it has been God. He has kept me all this time and He has shown me that He is my provider and if I will trust in Him, He will provide my needs. God doesn’t ever put us through trials that He is not preparing us to overcome. He doesn’t put us in valley’s or winter and not have a plan to lead us out. Discouragement is not of God and I have held true to my faith even though I haven’t seen the end of the trial. I know my God is faithful, He will bring me out and He will bring you out too! It isn't about the job and the car in the long and short of it the reason I am here is because God has stopped me in my tracks to change me. He has been working out of me some long time fears and inhibitions and the tendency to alienate myself and go it alone. 

I have made lots of mistakes on this journey and I know there has been people I have hurt inadvertently, for which I am truly sorry. I have learned that I have to take responsibility for my actions and wrongdoing lest I continue doing the wrong things. It is one of the hardest lessons to learn but if you are willing to ask for forgiveness even when you are the one who has been hurt, you will learn true freedom. 

I promise you, it’s not easy to stand when all you want to do is crumble. I have been in great sorrow and my heart has been broken more than once. I had put back up walls that had once been down. I closed myself off to not be hurt again. I alienated myself thinking it was safe. I listened to the lies by the enemy. I was also told to give up, go back to Michigan, that I must be sinning, that God is angry with me, that I haven’t tried hard enough, and all the while the enemy saying I am not worth anything. I may not know much but I know that my God is standing for me in peace and that He has a plan, even when I was blind to see it. Job stood alone and his trial was over when he began to pray for his friends, he began to see their needs above his own. He lost his selfishness even though he was being persecuted, he began to see beyond his own troubles. 

I think I have lost sight of this in the past few years. Yes, I love others but my trials have been in my face and it has been hard to see others. That is just raw honest feedback for myself. I have loved them and served them but maybe I haven't seen them. It hurts my heart that I have been selfish. But God is leading me out. 

Today, I stand and say, no matter the shortcomings, no matter the journey, no matter how bleak it may look, I know my redeemer lives! I know He is working and fighting for me. I refuse to back down, I refuse to give up right before the victory. Don’t give up! You are standing in the midst of your miracle. Don’t let the enemy and the words of others keep you from becoming the woman or man of God, He has called you to be! Every bit of your trial is a distraction to keep you from prayer, overcoming, and becoming who you are called to be! 

A Word That Changed Me

A few weeks ago, a man of God came to our church and he spoke a word of prophecy in my life. The short story is God was calling me to the next level and it was time to step out and do what He was telling me to do. There was nothing he told me God had not already told me but to hear it all spoken in one word sent me to my knees. How in the world could I really be and do all that he had spoken over me? This sent me into more intercessory prayer, more reading of the word and more soul searching. This of course never makes the enemy happy and all fangs have been out ever since. I truly recognize the tactics of the enemy but also know that not all criticism is bad criticism. You must take it and keep a teachable spirit or otherwise you miss the point of the trial in the first place. I want to also say that I can never do the things he stated, and that it is only God flowing in me that any of it will come to pass.

New levels bring new devils! The Lord revealed to me at Texas Singles Conference this year some shortcomings and some footholds of the enemy in my life. I have fallen short, but I am here to tell you the story is not over yet! I choose the peace of the Lord in the storm! I choose His ways over my ways, and not my will but His will be done. I don’t want to get to the end of my days and wish I had done the things; He had called me to do. I don’t want to stand in my own iniquity and think I had the better way when God was truly working it out of me. If there is one thing I know, He is seeking to give you and me peace. He wants to fight the battle and if we let Him, He will overcome!

I want to share with this word of hope that the Lord gave to me this week. If you are in the trial of your life this word is for you too. If you are weary and want to find peace this word is for you. If you want to give the devil a black eye this word is for you!

“Let peace come upon you. My peace I give thee. I am not tossed about the waves and I am not in wonder. I see you. I know you. I have called you. I am calling you out of turmoil and into your destiny. I am the God of peace and I am giving you great peace; I’m giving you my peace. Trust my timing and know that I have led you on this journey and I have prepared the way for you. I have unfolded my plan for you, and I have anointed you for my glory. I have been pushing you and teaching you to not only hear my voice but to wait on my timing. My ways are perfect, and my peace is perfect. The lies of the enemy have not consumed you and you are not forsaken. I have stopped him in his tracks and he no longer has a foothold in your life. I have been bringing out of you your greatest fears and teaching you to overcome. I have set you apart for my glory and at every juncture in the road, it is I the Lord who has ordained it. I know exactly where you are because I have placed you here. Step into your anointing and know that I am your peace and I have gone before you.”

How We Obtain Peace:

Philippians 4:4-8

1)  Praise: We have to praise Him in the storm. It is funny how God works. I just taught a bible study on how praise is the key to wholeness. Having peace is all about being a whole person in Christ Jesus. Don’t let the enemy or any person steal your praise. V4 “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.” No matter the weapons of the enemy remember, we win!

2)  Moderation: which means to be gentle, kind, patient and fair. This means we have to have peace with all men and purpose in our hearts to be kindhearted and to not let our good actions be called into question. V5. “Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.”

3) Thankful: Everything we have comes from the Lord. We don’t have to anxious for anything and worry is actually a sin. We are to leave everything in His hands and to let Him know everything that we have need of and know that He is in control. V6 “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

4) Knowing: It might not make sense to others but you know in your heart that God is faithful and He is working it all out. It is faith in action. Knowing is one step beyond faith, faith is knowing He can, but knowing is just that knowing He will do it. V7. “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

5) Our Diet: Prayer, Fasting, and the Word must be apart of our daily diet but there is more. What are we letting our minds dwell on?  It is easy to dwell on the negative. This person doesn’t like me. That person did this or that. And although some of it might be true you have to take responsibility for your part. What are you eating? As in what are you letting feed your soul? Who are you letting speak into your life? What are you ingesting spiritually? Are you reading the word? Are you careful what you put before your eyes? Are you letting the opinions of others dictate who you are in Christ Jesus? I would have to say that we all struggle with some or all of this but the answer is in the Word. V8. “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

These are the tools to living an overcoming life with the Lord. We have learned them, we have to then receive them and then become them in our lives as an example to others. We are to be content in whatsoever state we are in whether we are hungry or full, whether we are rich or poor. If we live by these principles, then we know that we can do all things through Christ which strengthen us. But we have to do our part, to receive peace and strength! Peace cometh by staying true to the steps I have laid out. It is up to us to obtain peace. God is calling us to a life of peace and holiness. He is calling us to a consecrated life unto Him and without peace we cannot obtain His promises. We cannot be in utter turmoil and walk in His peace at the same time, it is just not how it works.

I pray this blog blessed you and that God will show you in this how to obtain peace and now be willing to do the work to become the person God has called you to become.