To GOD be the Glory! (A Message for the Elect)

Glory to God!

I have been completely awed at the way God has been speaking through His prophets and apostles over the last two weeks. In all this, the Lord has a simple reminder for us...Remember to give HIM the glory! I just feel lead to share a personal experience today.

We are seeing, and will continue to see the Lord do great exploits through us and others who are CHOSEN to come forth in this season. Even greater works, with signs and miracles following will occur in the very near future. It is so easy to get distracted, yet we must be ever so sensitive and very careful to walk in TRUE HUMILITY.

Let me share a personal experience...
A few weeks ago, the Lord told me not to wear purple anymore. It took me a long time to accept this, because I LOVE purple and black! Anyway, it was also strange, because the Lord had never really dealt with me about colors before. He has given me some instruction on how I dress, but nothing this specific. In addtion to the color, He addressed certain garments and even makeup and jewelry! Yet, there seemed to be stress upon my instruction not to wear purple, especially when dancing or preaching.

In my studying and seeking God for more clarification, I learned that purple represents royalty and PRIDE. I understood the royalty, but had never thought about the prideful portion of that. God said, "I don't want you to praise me in pride." Wow! He has appointed us a royal priesthood in the earth, yet we must remain humble before Him.

Initially, I was hurt because I thought God was saying that I served Him in pride. However, the instruction did not come forth because of what I WAS doing. The instruction came forth to REMIND ME WHAT NOT TO DO. The Lord stripped me of something natural to keep my attention focused in the spiritual.

This was a personal instruction for me, but it carries a message for all of us, especially with the signs and wonders to come. It is so important that we don't exude pride when walking in the POWER and GIFTS He has bestowed upon us.

ACTS 12
21: On an appointed day Herod arrayed himself in his royal robes, took his seat upon [his] throne, and addressed an oration to them.
22: And the assembled people shouted, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man!
23: And at once an angel of the Lord smote him and cut him down, because he did not give God the glory (the preeminence and kingly majesty that belong to Him as the supreme Ruler); and he was eaten by worms and died.
24: But the Word of the Lord [concerning the attainment through Christ of salvation in the kingdom of God] continued to grow and spread.

In this passage of Scripture, I never thought anything was wrong with the robe Herod wore. After all, he was entitled, as royalty, to wear the robe. God has given us titles, positions, offices and power in the Kingdom as well. We have the authority He has given us, yet we must be careful not to allow the pride to come forth. That's where Herod's error was. Not in the robe itself, nor in his power, but in his allowing the people to worship him while he walked in the authority.

People will begin to pat us on the backs and give compliments. Many will begin preaching all over. While the message of holiness may not be a popular one, the POWER and the SIGNS and WONDERS will attract many. We must be so careful never to allow for the authority given to us by the Father to open a door to pride.

Even as in the Scripture, we are chosen, but we can still fall, God forbid. The Word will still go forth. God has need of us, but He doesn't NEED us. Yes, there is a difference!

To GOD be the glory!

Increasing in the Prophetic

Wow! God has really been dealing with me over the last few months - showing me things and speaking more loudly than ever. It's amazing - the things that once drove me to believe in my own insanity, God is now revealing as part of His anointing and divine call on my life.

Nights are generally sleepless at this point. Even when I do sleep, the Lord speaks to me in dreams and visions. Yet, I am comforted in Him. I sometimes feel the fatigue later, but I wouldn't change a thing. There's such a peace about knowing the heart of God. Even when He allows me to hear to voice of demons and people who are seeking my destruction, there is peace. I know He is opening my ears for a reason. I see for a reason. I am given a Word of prophecy for a reason. It's all to RECONCILE His people back to the Father.

It's stange sometimes - the things that we would consider "unexplainable" often make so much sense. We serve a God whose ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts, yet He allows us to know Him. He invites us to tap into the heavenly realm and learn of Him. He indeed uses the "foolish" things of this world to confound the wise.

I am so humbled on this morning. I'm in a place where I feel that nothing else matters, as long as God gets the glory in my life. I love people. I love ministry. But even above that, I MUST PLEASE GOD! I must say what my Father tells me to say and do what He tells me to do. That is the true definition of holiness, and therefore the true calling of a prophet.

What About the Prayer of Jabez?

Okay, Saints...

I know this will make some people mad, but it has been so heavy in my spirit today, and I must share...

Let me just be blunt - God's people MUST be careful about trying to claim other people's prayers just because they were answered for THEM. There is no "magic prayer" that will work for everyone all the time. After all, how can a prayer be "heartfelt" when it's not even of your own words? Just like the notorious "Sinner's Prayer," the "Prayer of Jabez" and everything like them are only offering a false sense of security to Christians who REFUSE to develop a true relationship with our Heavenly Father. Is this not what Jesus referred to in Matthew 6:7, when He said:

But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

Yes, vain repetitions...things we repeat over and over again, without true meaning or heartfelt sincerity. The Bible tells us that out the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks - your own words are good enough. If we can't go to God in our own Words, perhaps it is not in our heart to seek him at all!

Now, about Jabez...It turns out that Jabez was of the tribe of Judah. In the Bible, his name is later changed to Othniel. That's interesting because Jabez means "sorrow", but Othniel means "force of God." He was the only man to stand up and win a difficult battle (against Debir) at the request of Caleb, so he was awarded Caleb's daughter as a prize. He was the younger brother of Caleb as well, and the Bible says he was more honorable than ALL his brothers. Hmmm....

He also went on to judge Israel, and his prayer for territory was answered through his wife, Achsah. She was granted the Southland of Judah, but asked her father (Caleb) for more, so he granted it. The Bible then says that Othniel/Jabez lived his life out in peace, meaning he was prosperous and was able to cease from his carrer of battle.

Interesting...

My point is that this prayer was between Jabez and God. Yes, we can learn from it, but it's not for us to use like a spell. Look at all Jabez had to go through just to justify that prayer! It's no wonder God answered it FOR HIM. It's no wonder that such a prayer could come from he heart.

The thing that bothers me is that everytime a seemingly "quick fix" solution comes out about prayer, the Christians who are supposed to be mature (Pastors, Evangelists, Prophets, Apostles, Teachers) go running. Don't get me wrong - teaching is good, but why are those on the Front Line always running for another lesson in what we should already be expert in? Even more, why do we seek such instruction from man instread of the God we should be talking to EVERY day?

Think about this last few years, and you'll notice that all the big "Gospel Movements" (fads) revolve around Prayer...

The Room...The Threshing Floor...The Prayer of Jabez...Behind the Veil...In His Presence...

The list goes on and on and on...

Prayer should be the simplest thing for a TRUE CHRISTIAN to do. Why are so many hungry for a shortcut? Why are there so many who simply cannot enter into the presence of God...so many who don't hear His voice or know how to call on His name? Saints, this is sooooo scary!

If all the saints who claim to know how to pray really do know, where are they? More training, obviously, is just needed on prayer. When all these things came out, it wasn't the sinners seeking them - it was the saints, mainly the ones working in ministry!

People are paying for a "quick fix" and still are not able to tap in. Wow!

Even more, why do we really need to be "taught" how to pray. We aren't taught how to talk on the phone. We aren't taught how to carry on conversations with our friends. We learn because of a natural, human desire to communicate - to interact with others. Where is the DESIRE to know the Father???

WHO is the Measure of Your Holiness?

This is the Word of the LORD for His prophets. When He spoke this to me this afternoon, it stung, and the Lord instructed me to share it with the other prophets - those who are truly seeing and hearing from Him in this season...

God said "Do not get complacent." Many of us are seeing the sins of the saints, because He has opened our eyes. God is allowing us to see the transgressions of the people so we can give warning and bring godly correction. However, the Lord showed me that because of what we are seeing, many of His prophets have a false sense of security in Him.

God is asking, "Who is the measure of your holiness?" I asked Him to explain exactly what He was asking. "Does not my Word instruct you to be holy, because I am holy? Instead of measuring your lack of holiness by the measure of my Son, you are measuring it by the sins of my people." Yes, the Lord said many of us have a false sense of security because we should be striving for complete holiness, like that of our Father...like the holiness demonstrated by Jesus. Instead, though, we see the sins of others and feel that we are alright because we are seemingly better off than those we have been called to correct.

The Lord even began to show me marriages. God showed me friendships. He showed me churches and ministries. So many who were righteous are falling simply because they see the shortcomings of others, and thereby judge themselves to be more holy, thereby becoming complacent, comfortable...stagnant! We must be so careful not to get puffed up when we see the sins and shortcomings of others. In this season, we "not think more highly of ourselves than we ought." "Be sober minded. Be vigilant. For our adversary, the devil, is roaming and seeking whom he may devour." The very elect are being deceived in this season.

Prophets of God, we are called to see and even to judge. Yet, the ENTIRE Word of God is true. With whatever measure we judge another, the same judgment will be upon us. Will we be able to stand?

INCUBATE Yourself

Just this morning, the Lord was speaking to me. He said it's time for those who carry His Word to go back into the incubator. This was interesting to me, because I always thought an incubator was only for the immature - pre-mature babies, eggs, etc.

God showed me this is not always the case. The incubator is just for those that need to be PROTECTED, regardless of their level of maturity. God brought my attention to myself and so many others in ministry who are being tainted by THE CHURCH. Yes, "the saints"...the "church folk." God is calling many of us into ALONE TIME WITH HIM. He wants some of us to be ALONE, yet not LONELY.

We have to realize that when God calls us to do a specific work, especially those in the Five-Fold, we must be very careful. So many who are disguised as the Ministry will cause you fall into SPIRITUAL SIN, just as the Apostle taught here. God says, "Incubate Yourself." Talk only to those He tells you to converse with. Go only where He tells you to go...and yes, this includes CHURCHES. "There is a way that seems right unto a man, but the end thereof is death."

This is how the prophecy will be fulfilled that says even the very elect will be deceived. So much looks like God, but He says it is tainted. God wants us to press into Him in this hour. INCUBATE YOURSELVES. Eat only what God gives us to eat. Listen to only what God gives us to hear. Watch only what God gives us to see. For many of us, it is time to get ALONE. God will meet us in our "alone" place.

The Lord even told me that I talk to my Pastor too much! Yes. Now, my Pastors are truly anointed people. Yet, God told me that I cannot talk to them more than I talk to Him! Okay, let's get real! INCUBATE YOURSELF! There's nothing wrong with talking to spiritual leaders and friends in the ministry, but even then we cannot lose focus. You may understand their vision - catch their revelations - but have you missed what God had for YOU?

My God! Thus says the Lord, "INCUBATE YOURSELVES, and I will not leave you lonely!" To GOD be the glory!