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And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment. 1 Chronicles 12:32 To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1 There have been times in my life as a believer that one statement from God literally changed everything for me. Other times I have read a book, that was divinely ordained for me to read at that specific time, and it opened up revelatory knowledge to me that changed the way I read the Bible.
There is a lot of false doctrine out there and people often try to please the preacher. I remember thinking one time that I needed to be sick in order to get well at the meetings if I was going to see Jesus there! People know doctrines sometimes more than Him, Jesus the Person! He is NEW every morning! He is the Center and Creator of Everything!!! HE has the power, not the pastor, teacher, evangelist, prophet and apostle! Those gifts are His servants!
When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. Matthew 8:1–3 There is so much wrong believing today about who Jesus is. I am asking you to throw out every idea, concept, and picture that you may have of a "religious" Jesus. Allow me to introduce the real Jesus to you, for this is where it all begins.
There is a lot of buzz right now in Christian circles about the topics of mental health, PTSD, codependency, trauma, inner healing, therapy, etc. I feel like in many ways, those topics are intertwined, so it's fitting really that so many people are beginning to talk about them all. In fact, I will likely touch some on each of these topics here in this article. If anything the buzz of these topics was greatly compounded when notable Charismatic Christian leader Todd White spoke out on said topic.
"Yet many of the rulers also believed in Him. But because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they be put out of the synagogue. For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God" (John 12:42-43). When Jesus revolutionized His nation with the gospel of the kingdom, He was continually questioned and criticized for His visionary initiatives and unorthodox methods. The Pharisees were the politically correct referees who sought to silence His voice and penalize any advancement of His message. Knowing that their power and influence were losing ground, their religious mindsets could not comprehend or celebrate the very truths that could set them free from their own man-made bondage.
Is there ever a more appropriate time to warn of the dangers of comparison and envy than the holidays? The most curated, edited versions of our lives are on display for all to see like never before in the history of humankind. Don't get me wrong, I love seeing your families, delicious food, presents, trips, and more. "It's the most wonderful time of the year." I'm no Scrooge/Grinch. This time of the year can bring a quiet darkness, though, for many. It's a darkness I believe is exacerbated by the glossy, personal PR campaigns that provide online, addictive platforms like Facebook and Instagram free content.
I want to share a prophetic dream that I had a few years ago. Although this word is for women, it is not promoting or preferring women over men. For the past few years there has been an increase in spiritual warfare against women. The Holy Spirit brought me back to this dream today. In the dream there was a great swarm of large, brightly colored yellow and black bumblebees flying around in my room as I was reading my bible.
When I was asked to bring forth a word for the offering, immediately the Lord started poured out what I should say. It might not be the traditional message one would hear at this time but it was He gave. The first thought He gave me was whatever you give to the least of these you give unto Me. The second thought was to plant a seed by faith and expect a bumper crop. It isn't in the amount of monetary value in that seed but the amount of the faith of God that you attach to it.
This week I was continually surrounded by the sense of "first fruits" of breakthrough and "signs" of new life, cracks in the wall beginning to appear, the sound of new beginning and the waters parting. I had an encounter with the Lord and I heard the sound of waters that were backed up behind what felt like a "dam wall" and they were roaring as they were growing with pressure. Then the sound of the "dam wall" beginning to crack surrounded me and I saw the trickle of waters beginning to break through.
If you have felt like you are laboring and in a time of pain or suffering, then I have some good news for you. The difficult season many of us have been in will indeed pay off. Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. John 16:20–21 NIV Just as we are celebrating the birth of Christ this month, the Lord is birthing new things in you, bringing things that you have been called and created for.
