The Voice of Destiny

Rise to the Challenge

I had an interesting encounter with the Lord in my sleep last night. There were many dark clouds and much confusion on the earth. Most people had lost hope. In the background I continued to hear these words: “The kingdoms of this world have become the Kingdoms of our Lord!” Over and over I heard these words from Revelation 11:15. The problem was that it sure didn’t look like it!

My friend, you cannot walk by sight! There has never ever been a situation in the entire history of the world where natural sight ensured victory for those who walked with God! Psalms 11:3 has been a constant verse of meditation for me at this time. “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” The Message version of the Bible states it like this, “The bottom’s dropped out of the country; good people don’t have a chance”? That is the way it seems, but that is not the way it is!

The kingdom of God is as real as any kingdom on this earth, but it is only manifested by those who understand God’s principles that are totally contrary to the principles of this world. As I continue to say, “The challenge is to return to what was so that you can live what really is.” The greatest challenge to those who understand the mysteries of the Kingdom is not to try to put them into a form that must be followed! Returning to the garden is essential to understanding the simplicity of God’s Kingdom and walking in obedient faith knowing that you possess the keys that overcome the problems of this world.

You are not destined to be a “good person” who has no chance! No! You are great in the sight of God with a God-given purpose for such a time as this. It is time to examine your foundation. Is it full of man’s traditions, hypocritical doctrine of the church, a form of godliness, or do you understand the Kingdom of God that was given to us when Jesus died on the Cross? A Kingdom message that healed the sick, delivered those in bondage, and brought hope to the broken hearted. A message that was not religious, but was revolutionary! It turned the world upside down.

Whether we see it or not, the kingdoms of this world are becoming the Kingdoms of our Lord. The question really is, “What can the righteous do?” The answer, “Rise to the Challenge!” Walk in your destiny by manifesting the kingdom of God to an upside down world that is losing hope by the day! Nothing is impossible with God!

All in a Day's Work

It doesn’t really matter if you are what would be called a traditional minister or a believer carrying God’s glory into the workplace, we all have to deal with the incredible onslaught of emotions and the dilemma of how to handle what each day brings to us.Coping with daily issues will become a stressor of great magnitude for those who do not know how to rest in the grace of God.

Today alone has been one to confront death, a nation that continues to push toward socialism, friends facing rehabilitation and the stress it puts on the home, and people trying to find their place in the body of Christ. You often feel like the little boy with his finger in the dike! Which holes are most important to plug? In reality we have little ability in ourselves to plug any of the holes which we face on a daily basis.

This is where our ability to rest in God comes to our rescue. One word from His lips to my ear makes all the difference. Knowing that I don’t have to have the answers, but I am in communion with One who is the answer releases peace in my life that cannot be comprehended by the human mind. I have been sensing a need to yield everything to God in advance because of what seems to be inevitable in the near future. If you can’t let go of things that you possess now, you will never be able to let go of what you can’t hold on to in the near future. (Read 1 Kings 17:9)

I continue to proclaim this as the greatest day for the Church of Jesus Christ! God is greatest when things seem impossible. It is then you realize the power of what you possess through the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Hear this word from the Lord today: “The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever. My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places,” Isa. 32:17,18

I am not sure what you are facing today or tomorrow, but I do know this “He is peace!” Remain steadfast! He has you in His hand! It’s all in a day’s work.

Looking and Waiting

I can't beleive that it has been a month since I last blogged. I guess that tells you that I have been quite busy or just waiting. Maybe a little of both. This past month has been very busy as some of us at Flame of Fire have been preparing our new place, "The Kingston House" for service. This time service is quite different than a traditional church service. This house has six bedrooms and 6000 square feet of space on 3.5 acres of land situated on a 44 acre pond. It is quite the place and is shaping up to be a beautiful venue for rest, prayer, and ministry to those who want to get away.

That has been the busy part, but the waiting part has been the result of an encounter I had with the Lord several weeks ago. It was 4:20 am as I was preparing for another day when I distinctly heard the Lord say, "Are you looking for Me or are you looking for something to do?" Immediately my mind went to Proverbs 8:34. "Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoever finds me finds life, and obtains favor from the Lord."

This was probably a result of all my questions to God in prayer. "What do you want me to do?" What is the next step for Flame of Fire?" "We have moved as you have asked, but now what God?" You get the gist of what I am saying.

Jesus said, "The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner." This has been one of my favorite scriptures over the past few years. God has stipped me of all my busyness, all my efforts to work harder for Him. It is a very uneasy naked place to stand before God and just wait for Him to move. He doesn't move very quickly. At least I don't think so, but He really doesn't care what I think or that I am waiting for Him. He has His own plan and I am not a very patient person, but I know I must wait.

The leaders of Flame of Fire know that we cannot bring our baggage from the past into the new season and place that the Lord has brought us to. That means no programs, and very little of the things we have done in the past. Our comfort zone has been blown up and we must sit, wait, and watch. This is not a very comfortable place for one who is accustomed to running for God. But I sense His pleasure, His favor and His life! Isn't that what we are suppose to feel?

The Master Cleanse

I have been feeling quite sluggish over the past several months. Of course the extra weight around the mid section doesn’t help at all. So I have decided to try the master cleanse to de-tox my body, lose some weight and hopefully feel much better in the end.

This particular de-tox actually cleans the lining of your stomach so that your body can receive the full nutritious value of what you are consuming. It also cleanses all the way to the cellular level of your body. In a sense it removes the veil from your body so that you can have more energy and be healthier.

Recently I read an article by a former minister about de-toxing from the church. Not from the gathering of people with whom you have a relationship with, but from the religious system that man has built. You see, just as your body needs to be cleansed from toxic build up, so does your spirit man. Years of doing things that we all believed were in the Bible and “of God” often shield you from the very life that comes from the Truth! All the extra curricula activity that we have been instructed is godly, often keeps you from sincerely knowing the love of the Father, from hearing His voice and from simply living in His grace!

It is interesting because when you de-tox your physical body you feel worse in the beginning. Shedding all those toxins is a drag and they don’t go easily. The same is true when de-toxing your spiritual man. When you stop doing all that was expected of you to do as a Christian you often feel worse. Questions will arise; “Am I doing the right thing?” “Shouldn’t I be doing more for God?” “What will people think about me?” I encourage you to hang in there. It will get better. I promise!

In the end, isn’t it all about being healthy from the inside out? Reflecting what God has truly given to us to live out of and not having to put something on to identify ourselves as a believer. I keep hearing about returning to the basics, to the garden experience of what is rightfully ours through Jesus Christ. When you begin to dwell on who the Father really created you to be, it is totally amazing. So I am hanging in there, both with the master cleanse and with the Master cleanse!

Building Character

Most everyone knows that I am an avid Red Sox fan. Having played the game as a youth and had dreams of reaching the major leagues I don't miss too many games. In my mind there is so much more to learn from the game than just final scores and balls and strikes. It is about the agony of defeat and the thrill of victory. Underdogs, over achievers and rookie sensations. The game never gets old because it is more than just a game. It is real life!

Don't get me wrong, I don't have lots of sympathy for millionaire cry babies, but even they have bad days, injuries, sickness in the family and yes, death that causes the game to be reduced to just that a game! It is in the midst of all of this that much can be learned if you pay attention.

Just this past week the bottom has fallen out of Boston's drive for another world series. Injuries, slumps, and failed comebacks have all happened at once for the Sox, but here is where you learn from the game. When Terri Francona, the manager of the Red Sox was asked about his team and how they were going to handle all the difficulties they were experiencing, he made no excuses. He said, "It is at times like this we will discover what we are made of. These things happen to all teams and they present an opportunity to build character."

To me that is what sports is all about! Yes I love to watch the games and see the incredible athletic ability of men placed in high pressure situations. But to me it is more about overcoming the adversities of life and coming out a winner as a person.

Earlier this season the Los Angeles Angels lost one of their pitchers to a car accident. It devastated the team to lose someone so close to them. That very night he had pitched a great game. Everyone was happy until the news of someone running a red light changed every thing. They could have allowed this tragedy to destroy their season, but instead they are using it to build character in their lives. They are now on top of the standings and look like they are on their way to the playoffs.

How are you dealing with the difficult situations you are facing in your life? You are no less important as a person than million dollar ball players. Are you allowing the difficulties to build character in you or are you making excuses? Times are tough. We read about it everyday in the news paper or hear it on the TV. That is no excuse to give up. It is time to "suck it up" as they say and allow God to develop character in your life. In reality character is not developed in hard times, it is revealed! I continue to stress that hard times cannot stop your destiny, they define it ! Character does count!!! What's in you?

Confidence

Full trust; belief in the powers, trustworthiness, or reliability of a person or thing. Belief in oneself and one’s powers or abilities – Dictionary.com

Confidence is a powerful attribute to possess. It is the difference between a winner and a loser, between closing a sale or having just another lead. It isn’t how much ability or talent that you have that matters, but how much you believe in what you possess! I have seen athletes that possessed legitimate talent, yet never achieved their potential. While others with minimum abilities over achieved. They believed in what they possessed!

Clay Buchholz of the Boston Red Sox, as a rookie pitched a no-hitter, won 3 games and had a 1.59 era. The next year he couldn’t get anyone out losing his last seven starts. After regaining his form this year he was asked what made the difference? CONFIDENCE! He had doubted his own abilities.

The writer of Hebrews implored his readers to have confidence. Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. 36For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: Hebrews 10:35,36 You must not cast away your confidence (bluntness, outspoken boldness) if you expect to accomplish the will of God for your life! Without confidence you will never endure. You will never complete the will of God or receive the promise that He has given to you!

The writer is referring to what makes a person do what he or she does. What made Mother Teresa spend all those years with the outcasts of society? Why did Winston Churchill emphatically say, “Never, never, never, never, never give up!” CONFIDENCE!

It is one thing to possess confidence when everything is going well, but true confidence is revealed in the face of adversity. When everyone else is doubting you, will you be able to remain confident? There is no greater example of confidence in history than the man Abraham who was told at age the age of 100 and his wife being 90 that they were going to have a child. God said it will be according to the seed in you! He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. Romans 4:20,21 Now that is confidence! He was fully persuaded or was able to make full proof of what he believed!

We are living in difficult times. Do not cast away or lose your confidence in what you possess within you. Have faith in God! He placed the seed in you and He will bring it to pass, but you must be fully persuaded! People will call you proud, arrogant and even foolish, but God calls you faithful!

I leave you with this quote: “Life challenges are not suppose to paralyze you, they’re suppose to help you discover who you are.” – Bernice Johnson Reagon Be confident!

Declare the word - Hear!

In prayer this morning I heard the Lord say to me, “Be filled with My Spirit! It is your very breath of life!” “Man says, ‘dust to dust and ashes to ashes,’ but I am the Lord who says, ‘I give you beauty for ashes and the oil of joy for mourning.’” It is the Spirit of the Lord that reverses the curse and gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did!

Now is the time to declare the word of the Lord! It is a word of life not death. A word of blessing, not cursing! It is a time to declare by faith what we see, not speak what is! God is waiting on you and me to step in to our positions as His ambassadors and speak on His behalf. This is a principle throughout scripture. God works on earth through man!

In Ezekiel 37, God instructed Ezekiel to prophesy to the dry bones and declare the word of the Lord. It was necessary for Ezekiel to speak the words of the Lord and tell those bones to hear! I want to encourage you to speak to the dry bones of America and say “HEAR!” Speak to the army of God that does not exist as though it did and say, “Hear army of God!”

There is a great reversal taking place in the spirit realm if we will come into agreement with it. Though it seems like people are being scattered, God says, “I am gathering!”

The next twenty-one days is very important! The G 8 is meeting in Italy and we must cover this gathering of the powers of this world with the power of the world that supercedes it! We must cry out for God’s will to be done and for the plans of man to be thwarted, revealed and reversed!

It is not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit says the Lord! Rise up mighty man and woman of God and declare the word of the Lord! There is a shaking in the heavenlies. How the earth shakes will depend on you!

This Season

We are in a season of time like no other! With all that is going on in our world right now many are allowing fear to take precedence in their lives. It is now more than ever we must hear the words of the Lord, “FEAR NOT!” “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.” Ecc. 3:1

That word “season” means “appointed occasion.” Nothing has taken God by surprise and therefore we should not be surprised either. Our faith in an all knowing God is the strength of our confidence during these times. It is no mistake that you are present during the days we are living in! God has purposed it! In fact it is His good pleasure that you have been brought forth at this specific time in history.

It is the time for every purpose under heaven. That word “purpose” means “pleasure, desire, valuable thing, a matter as something in His mind, acceptable or things desired.” I hope you get the picture! Nothing is out of control. God has a plan for everything and YOU are a part of His plan!

Let me make this perfectly clear. Circumstances cannot destroy, diminish or delete your destiny! THEY DEFINE IT! Israel was in bondage for four hundred years and God heard their cries. Tough times! He sent Moses. A decree is made to destroy every Jew in the kingdom of Ahasuerus. Tough times! God had an Esther. A wicked mother seizes her opportunity to rule in Judah by destroying all the royal heirs, but there was Jehoshabeath to hide Joash!

It is not important how large a part that you play in God’s drama of world history. The key is that everyone has a part! There are parts that no one in their right mind would choose, but God still needs those parts filled. Parts like Richard Wurbrand spending 14 years in prison being tortured for his faith. Yet this man has encouraged and seen thousands saved in the worst of situations. It was his purpose under heaven! Or Corie Ten Boom and all that she suffered to save a few Jews, but what an impact she made on thousands through her testimony of forgiveness. It was her purpose under heaven!

Guaranteed few, if any of the people in world history thought they were making history that would be recorded for posterity to read and draw encouragement from. I doubt that Winston Churchill realized the enormity of his actions when he was making decisions that would change world history. Nor did the Bielski Brothers from the movie “Defiant” realize the life changing impact they would have on thousands of lives when they decided to live in the woods for three years during WWII. The act of defiance was not killing Germans, but saving Jews! It was their purpose under heaven for that season!

Many would ask, “How do I fulfill my purpose under heaven?”

1. You must seize the moment that is before you! Only God knows the divine purpose and plan for you. Don’t miss the opportunity that today presents!

2. Be faithful in the mundane! Never doubt your purpose and destiny in life even though it may seem insignificant. Every person is recorded in God’s history book!

3. Be ready! Very few opportunities in life announce themselves. Much of what we do that is thought to be insignificant will not be revealed as important until we have passed the baton to the next generation.

4. Never, never, ever think that you are not important in the great plan of God and His Kingdom! You are that purpose, valuable thing, desire, and pleasure of God for such a time as this!

Be encouraged in this season of time. Your destiny is being defined by everyday life!

Recognize the Time

The times that we live in continue to both amaze me and excite me. There is something about rising to the challenge that is presented before me that really motivates me. Some people run when times get tough or the game is on the line, but I have always wanted to be the one who stood in the gap and said, “Follow me, I will lead you home!”

It is in this hour that we must guard our thoughts. How you think will determine your success or failure as we move forward in times of stress and difficulty. You must understand your purpose and know that Jesus has called you to follow Him, He will lead you home!

I recently read this quote by Michael Eisner, chairman of the Disney Company: “We have no obligation to make history. We have no obligation to make art. We have no obligation to make a statement. To make money is our only objective.” It caused me to think of the purpose of the Church. Many think the only objective is to attract people and build a larger building. We have missed the entire purpose for which Jesus Christ gave His life. We do have an obligation to make history. Jesus was a history maker. We do have an obligation to make art. The church for centuries set the standard in the arts and greatly impacted culture. It is time to return to the head of the line in every sphere of cultural influence in our society. Finally, it is our obligation to make a statement. Not with words only, but through our very lives! Jesus gave His life so that you could walk in your divine purpose in Him. That is home!

If you haven’t noticed our nation is in a very steep decline that is gaining speed by the hour. Having lost our moral compass which has been founded upon scripture, we are headed for a crash of incredible magnitude. Now is not the time to run, but to stand! To stand firm in our faith. Faith that causes you to know it is for this time you have been born. Karios moments have become so close together that we have moved into the fullness of time or God’s time! Recognize it and prepare yourself for the most exciting days you have ever dreamed of.

People who fight may lose.

People who do not fight have already lost.

- Bertold Brecht

Your God-Created Self

Thus it is that in war the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won, whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for victory.

 

Sun Tzu – “The Art of War”

 

 During difficult times many of us tend to want to react. “We must do something!” Often that plays out to be a mistake. The words of Sun Tzu are words of wisdom, but we need to only to yield to the God of wisdom to be prepared for the battle ahead.

 “You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ 4I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, 5for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. Matthew 5:43-45 The Message translation

“Respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves.” This is who you truly are and is all made possible through Jesus Christ. Satan our enemy wants to pull you from your true self through strategies of distraction, fear, anger and a host of other feelings that will cause you to react and not respond!

Let me give you some key ways to pray that will keep you focused:

1. Come into agreement with God’s Word! Let your words and God’s Word be one!

2. Hear what the Father is saying and do not be afraid to speak it.

3. Understand that your prayers are weapons of warfare that pull down strongholds. You must visualize that you are that Word you are praying!

4. Do not pray witchcraft manipulative prayers. Don’t presume that you know what is best!

5. Pray for those who are in authority over you. This does not mean you have to bless them. You have the power to bind and to loose on earth as it is in heaven. Use the authority that you have been given. Love the sinner, hate the sin!

Do not let current circumstances deter you from being your God created self. It is from this position that you will respond and not react, thus fulfilling your purpose and destiny. Remember we are all called to pray for our nation, leaders, and one another! Stay Focused!

He will win who, prepared himself, waits to take the enemy unprepared.

Sun Tzu

 

The above message is an excerpt from a study on “How to be prepared for the future.”