Teaching and Equipping

Jesus Really Does Have a Plan – Frank Work

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Today, today I have this overwhelming feeling of sadness. I feel a sadness as though my heart is broken. I don’t feel this often, but when I do and there is a sadness and heartache to the core of my being, I know that I am feeling God’s heart on a matter. When Paul the apostle said that our war is not against flesh and blood, that is precisely what he meant. My battles in the natural are carnal and therefore contrary to how God intended me to accomplish warfare in the spirit. If I truly believe in the power of Christ, then I need to believe that no matter what I see with my natural eyes, that God’s hand is somehow in it, and I need to ask for the eyes to see and ears to hear. Today I am being reminded that no matter how heart breaking the things of this world are, my Savior has a plan.

I don’t know how many times I have heard the age old saying, “If there really is a God, how come He allows….” And the list is endless. Our Father in heaven is not an angry tyrant who paces back and forth, throwing curses down upon man because they continually mess up. He doesn’t look upon this earth and scream, “You deserve what you get!” No, I believe that our heavenly Father cries out to His son Jesus and says..”Save my children, bring them back to Me.” Then Jesus tells the Holy Spirit, “Go, teach them the love of the Father and the Son. Give them wisdom and understanding. Give them what they seek most, though they do not even know it. Give them the heart of the Father and of the Son. Give them Love.”

Problem is man likes to find his own way and then blame God when it suits him. It’s easy to blame God, because it takes responsibility off my shoulders. Instead of blaming God for the problems I see around me, I should be asking God how I can be a part of the solution. The song I am sharing is perfect. One of the lines in the song is…”I shake my fist at heaven and yell , God why don’t you do something… and He says I did, I created you.”

We live in a Hellenistic society where the motto is, “If it feels good, do it.” Or “Don’t deny yourself your indulgence, you only live for so long.” Then with the same breathe I will curse God because He isn’t answering any of my prayers. You can’t serve yourself and then expect God to work like a fast food burger joint, “I want it my way.”

Our Father in heaven did create a solution to the lost and dying world around us. It’s you and I. Not because He had to, but because He wanted to. He wants to include us in the plans of heaven. He wants us to be the weapons of His warfare. He wants us to cry out to Him in prayer and intercession to be a light to the dark places of this world.

The following song really ministered to me.

Peace as a Weapon (Part 1) – Karen Austin

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Today I am going to begin a short series of blogs regarding peace. Not a natural peace, which can change in a moment, but a supernatural peace which is part of what makes up His Kingdom and stands forever.

“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,” Romans 14:17 NIV

Just as there are natural weapons, we who have given our lives to Jesus have been given spiritual weapons. One that is often overlooked is the weapon of peace – even though it is one of the most powerful weapons. We may think that it is not a weapon, but Paul wrote about it in Romans 16:20- “And the God of peace shall soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.”

CRUSH- the base meaning is to crush completely, that is, to shatter – break (in pieces), broken to shivers, bruise.

It is the God of Peace who will crush the enemy when we abide in the peace of God. It is a fortress and a weapon that the enemy has no power against.

Think about the times you have been under attack, i.e. a family issue, car problems, sickness or serious medical diagnosis. The first thing that happened was your mind began to go in a million directions at once…thinking of different scenarios. Confusion, anxiety and fear tried to settle in. We then begin to contemplate how we are going to fix this problem. Do we have the means to correct it? Do we know anyone who can help us out of this? Our minds begin frantically seeking an answer that is within our own abilities to solve.

I know I have a tendency to become frustrated when I first come under attack. It is a great temptation to step out of peace and step into anger and then anxiety. Our ability to reason with Holy Spirit influence becomes difficult because confusion and chaos flood our minds. Our ability to see the situation through His eyes becomes difficult. It is hard to hear God when we are in a state of anxiety.

Once we lose the peace of God, we quickly lose our patience which affects our love walk. This in turn affects our faith because faith works by love.

But know this, the peace of God is the anchor that will hold all of the fruits of the Spirit in place. Peace will give us the ability to search the heart of God for an answer.

~~to be continued

The Battle for the Kingdom Will Leave Scars – Frank Work

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We, who have seen war, will never stop seeing it. In the silence of the night, we will always hear the screams. So this is our story, for we were soldiers once, and young.”  Joe Galloway-We Were Soldiers Once and Young

I can’t count how many times I made the comparison between my life in the military and my life in Christ. Many times I even used it as an excuse not to trust my brother or sister in the Lord; for fear that they would not be there when the shells start dropping and the bullets start flying. For Christian it’s sometimes a lot harder to see the enemy that is trying to disrupt the peace in your life, or far worse, trying to destroy your relationship with Jesus.

We can’t always see the adversary that has a desire to destroy our motivation to seek God in the direst of times. His barrage of attacks is constant and never ending. Our Lord in heaven is always there to watch over and keep us, to guide us through the storms of our daily walk. We can’t do it alone; we should never do it alone. In any battle, there are wounds, there are scars, and there are memories, which are left behind. I don’t think I will really come to an understanding of this until I am standing in glory in the presence of my King. One obvious compensation for my carnal wounds (When I say carnal I do mean of the flesh) is that I know how they are inflicted and in most cases, I know how to treat them and better yet, perhaps avoid them. In the spirit though, the wounds can be a little more subtle and hidden.

Many times I have stood in defiance of these wounds and said, “I am NOT affected! It doesn’t hurt.” In the meantime I am wincing; sore and sometimes I don’t have the ability to move in the areas of the spirit that God has ordained for me. Many times I am not willing to see the wounds I have, which if left unchecked will fester and become infected with my own inability to give them over to the healing touch of the Lord. I don’t believe for one moment that the wounds I have incurred over my life time become worse solely because of our dread foe. I will say that like any infection there can be contributors which will inhibit the healing process. Bottom line is this; I am not meant to be a solitary creation of my heavenly Father. We are all on the front lines as it were, in the spirit. We all suffer from war, physically, spiritually and emotionally. The scars are not badges of honor, but reminders that we need our savior Jesus Christ that much more in our daily lives. His scars give us a heavenly reminder that He sacrificed himself for all men and women of this world.

Don’t ever be fooled into thinking that you will come through the battle unscathed. In fact the intensity of this war is going to increase, and we, together, must be ready to face it with the in filling of the Holy Spirit, in power, in truth and most importantly in Love. He is loyal, we must be loyal to Him who saved us. Loyalty goes both ways. I hope this has not been words of discouragement, but encouragement. To let my fellow warriors know, we are all scarred and battle worn, but we will come out of this because Jesus made a promise so long ago. Here are a few scriptures to encourage you with His promise.

“Some had families waiting. For others, their only family would be the men they bled beside. There were no bands, no flags, no Honor Guards to welcome them home. They went to war because their country ordered them to. But in the end, they fought not for their country or their flag, they fought for each other.” Joe Galloway

Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

Deuteronomy 31:8 “And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.” 

Joshua 1:5 “No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.

Hebrews 13:5 “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Divine Signals (Part 2) – Karen Austin

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There is a pure river of revelation flowing to those who are pure in heart. Contend for this. Rid yourself of the tares in your soul. It is time to release those things that hinder our walk with Him.

There is a higher way that God is calling His Bride; one that will cause her to walk above that which is to come upon the earth. As a child, when our father wanted us to move along quickly (such as we needed to get out of the way because a car was coming or when we were playing instead of getting ready for school) our father may have said to us, “No Dilly Dallying!” This is what I sense the Father is saying to the church, “No Dilly Dallying with what I have told you to do!”

There are things coming that He needs us to be in a certain position and it is getting late. Things are changing quickly. Things have been set in motion to happen soon upon the earth. They will not wait for us to get into the place He has been calling us to. The Father needs us to be in position, in that place of freedom from the past that would hold us back – hold us down from the place of elevation that He is bringing His Bride.

He is calling His Bride to a place upon the mountain as He did with Moses. Sadly, some will chose to hold onto the things of this world and therefore cannot go. He is sounding the trumpet to assemble, to prepare and to ascend into the Holy Place.

For it shall be there that He will give us instructions for the times that are coming. As we climb higher, as we maintain our clear signal from Heaven, He will send us forth as He did Moses to cause the enemy to Let His People GO! The methods we have used up to this point have been good, but He, from upon His holy mountain, will grant deeper insights which shall enable us to quickly set ones free from deception, sickness, disease, oppression, depression and possession – so we will be able to set multitudes free with a greater effectiveness – for it shall be necessary.

So you may say, “How do we climb this Mountain?” The Father says to you,”It is a mountain that you will climb in worship. It shall be a Mountain of Worship in which you will ascend into the Cloud. In this place, He will speak to us face 2 face, heart 2 heart. Instead of writing His instructions upon stones, He will imprint them upon our hearts.

As we descend from this place, I sense He was showing me that man will come to us and say “Where did you learn this?” and you will simply smile and say, “The Glory, in the Glory of God.”

Divine Signals (Part 1) – Karen Austin

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Spiritual pictures and revelations coming from Heaven must be unobstructed in order to be clearly received. There are strategic truths that Heaven is releasing in this hour that we must receive and activate!

Technology has improved picture clarity by way of high definition, which is a result of more reliable signals with less interference. God is increasing the ability of those who will turn their receiver towards Heaven to have greater spiritual clarity. In order for us to have less interference, other forms of communication must be disconnected or it will draw on the power that is being released and the fullness of what He desires to release. My understanding of this is that our receivers are more toward cell phones, internet, Facebook and TV than towards receiving divine signals from Heaven. His church is on overload.

We must be clearly connected to His signal or our reception of His revelation will be distorted. This is a time of separation, a setting ourselves apart so we will not be distracted from the greatness of our God and His instructions for this hour.

Our receivers must be cleansed and cleared of any obstruction, anything that stands in the way of receiving His divine signals. Thing such as hardness of heart, unforgiveness, bitterness, resentment and jealousies. We must understand the works of the flesh are of no effect and profit nothing in His Kingdom. Only by reflecting His nature and manifesting His gifts will His Kingdom be demonstrated on earth.

As antennas of old are a thing of the past, so are many of the ways that we have done things in past seasons. Old methods and compromise in our lives will not produce Heaven’s desired results. There is a higher calling and definition, a higher understanding of the things that we see taking place in the natural. The Father is calling us to a higher perspective, a higher way to see and a higher way to touch those around us. There is also a higher definition of the operation of His Spirit that He will reveal to those who have singleness of heart.

~~to be continued

Should Women Keep Silent in the Church? (Part 3) – Gary Florence

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Yes, finally we are coming to the conclusion “Should Women Keep Silent in the Church.” Let’s ask our questions from Part 2.

  • Who wrote it? (Paul),
  • Who was it written to? (Timothy).

Now we will do a little digging into the historical context. In 1 Timothy chapter 2, Paul is giving advice on how a church service should be ran. Let’s look at something interesting in verse 8 it says “Likewise I want WOMEN to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments.” (NASB) This is how the women who were leaders at the temple of Diana (Artemis) dressed because prostitution was one of the many things that went on there.

Now look at verses 11-12 “Let a WOMAN learn in silence with all submission and I do not permit a WOMAN to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be silence.”

Look how Paul changed from women to woman. Some scholars believe he was talking about one particular woman not women as a whole.

Continuing on, Verses 13-14. “For it was Adam who was created and then Eve, and it was not Adam who was deceived but the woman being deceived fell into transgression.”

Where did that come from and why did Paul have to say that? One of the teachings of Diana (Artemis) was that they believed Eve was created first and that Adam was the one who was deceived in the garden. Therefore they pointed fingers of blame at the men. So when these idol worshipers got saved they brought this mentality into the church and it caused them to have a negative attitude toward men and the men Timothy put into leadership. Could Paul have been pointing out this WOMAN’S inappropriate behavior? People were literally jumping up in the middle of the services and yelling what they believed and were taught to them regarding their false religion that they had now come out of. So if we look at the historical context of what was happening in the services of that day. Paul was addressing women or particular a “woman” that was an outspoken leader of Diana (Artemis) not women of today.

I would like to say as a man if these scriptures or any others dealing with women have been held over you. First of all I want to apologize on behalf of us men and ask for your forgiveness. You are not to be off to the side or in the background but we are to be standing side by side together as one voice. So finally what is my “opinion” on “Should Women Keep Silent in the Church” it is a resounding NOOOOO!!! They should not keep silent in church.

I would like now to speak into the women’s lives “May the Wonder Women you truly are begin to rise within you and may the lasso of truth be wrapped around your minds. May all the gifting’s, callings and your destiny come into fruition and you be those Wonder Women that you have been created to be.” As men we need you ladies and we love you and speak blessings over you. So do not keep silent any longer!!!

The Blind Shepherd Leading the Blind Sheep – Frank Work

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So this was said by a renown and highly public speaker, of a really big church. She made this statement to the congregation in the church, as well as those listening and watching at home. Not to mention what she released into the atmosphere. We really have to be careful what we are releasing from our lips. Below is what she said on a Sunday morning.

“When we obey God, we aren’t doing it for God, I mean that’s one way to look at it. We’re doing it for ourselves. Because God takes pleasure when were happy, that’s the thing that gives Him the greatest joy this morning. So I want you to know this morning, just do good for your own self. Do good because God wants you to be happy. When you come to church, when you worship Him, your not doing it for God, really, your doing it for yourself. Because that’s what makes God happy, amen

One of the biggest problems in my opinion is that we as a people still have the mentality that we need an earthly king to lead us. So we will flock like blind sheep to whatever shepherd is saying the things that make me feel right about what I am doing at the time, whether right or wrong. More times than naught in my limited experience as a Christian I am seeing this played out more and more.

It almost seems as though that the children of God don’t want to be children of God, but subjects or slaves of God. We want to be told what to do, when to do it and how to do it. This is a learned behavior that is ingrained into our spirits over time. It’s a long process to unlearn this type of behavior, even longer when we don’t allow the Holy Spirit to teach and guide us as we learn what it means to be children of God and not slaves. Until we are willing to step up and take our rightful places in the kingdom of God, this sort of “Anti christ-like” message will continue to take place.

What’s funny is that I don’t blame the people speaking from the pulpits for the deceit and lies coming out of their mouths as much as I am sadden that people who know the Lord are giving ear to this prosperity message, which is warping , in my opinion , the true message of what Jesus preached, died and rose again; which is to embrace the message of the cross and dying to one’s self, and accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior.

I am in total agreement with the statement made by a friend of mine,   “God wants to kill us.” Which translate, God wants to destroy our flesh so it can not have sway over our spirit-man and interfere with our relationship with Jesus and hampers communication between the Father and us through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not in agreement with these pastors who are speaking in a direction opposite to Jesus and His word, but I know according to the scripture what will happen, Jer 23:1 ” Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!” says the Lord.”

What can I do for them? I can and should be praying for them. Seeking the direction of the Holy Spirit concerning them. So I don’t have to worry about what’s going to happen to them, I just need to ensure that I am doing what I can to make sure I am hearing God. Which also means seeking His truths where they maybe found, and being open and teachable to the love and Spirit of God.

Coronavirus Fears – Gary Florence

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In the natural world we have in place a 911 system where when you have an emergency you can dial this number up and someone will come to your aid. I thank God for this system and all the first responders who give of themselves to help others, but did you know that there is also in place a 911 system in the spiritual world and we can dial it up anytime we need help also.

It is Psalms 91:1 verses 1-3 says;

“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty”. I will say of the Lord. He is my refuge and my fortress. My God, in Him I will trust. Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence.”

There is a lot of fear going on right now, and rightfully so and people are scrambling for answers as to how to combat this virus. What would happen if a company of believers who believe that signs, wonders and miracles were for today? What if we would believe that we can be part of the answer the world is looking for? If we began to believe what Jesus said when He said “And these shall you do but even greater.” That Christ inside of us is the hope of glory that the world needs and right now the world needs hope for a solution to this matter.

I believe that there is a company rising who will declare a thing (revelation) and see it come to pass. I remember the story of the blind man and Jesus’ disciples ask Him “Who sinned his parents or him to cause him to be blind.” Jesus said “neither but it was to see the glory of God take place.” I truly believe that are best days are not behind us but that the best is yet to come and God has and is marking an army for Himself to advance the Kingdom of God on earth and to declare and degree “Your Kingdom come now and your will be done now on earth as it already is established in heaven.”

The question I have to ask myself and you is will we cower in fear, or like verses 14-16 of our 911, “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him. I will set him on high because he has known my Name. He shall call upon Me and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him My salvation.”

Remember Jesus told his disciples “All authority has been given to me now I transfer this authority to you.” The whole earth is groaning in labor pains for the sons and daughters to manifest. Why not now? Why not us? I ask that each one of us all over the world will join together as one body in faith and begin to declare and decree that this Coronavirus must bow to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Thank you!!!!

We must Love Because Liking is not Enough – Frank Work

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Today the Lord really spoke to me, well let’s be honest, the Holy Spirit really convicted my spirit about how I view my brothers and sisters in the body of Christ. Not only how I view but what I say to them because of the judgement I may or may not hold against them. This morning I was reading in the word and this scripture jumped out like an anvil. The scripture is out of 1 John 4:21

21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

Now before you say, “Ok I love God and I love my brother, what more do you want Frank?” Exactly.

The question, I need to be asking myself on a constant basis, “God what more do you want?” In my opinion I am really good at superficial love, I can smile, laugh, shake your hand, or even give you a hug. I can have a long conversation with you about whatever topic may be on our hearts at that time. Sure, no problem let’s go grab a coffee at the local coffee cafe and enjoy the music of a young man playing a guitar, singing a song called Cherry Grove. It’s amazing what I can do when I really set my mind to it. All in the name of superficial relationship.

That of course until you decide to rub me the wrong way, or say something I don’t agree with. Oh and let’s not even discuss about the disagreement we have in scripture, because you know in your heart that I am absolutely correct, you just haven’t realized it yet. You will hear my battle cry come forth, “Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war!” Oh, my, then and only then will you know what it means when I make the statement, “I love you brother, but I don’t like you very much.” That’s right….you got my point…right? I mean you know I still love you, don’t you? You still love me to, right?

Honestly, that has been the style of my relationships that I have had with my fellow christian brothers and sisters through most of my life in knowing Jesus. I thought through the action of love, I could somehow obtain the reality of love, which is the love Jesus spoke about in John 13:35,

35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Jesus was not just talking about the emotion of love, but the actual commitment of love. I am not much of a Greek scholar, but it has always intrigued me how complex the Greek can be. One word can have many meanings, which are all in depth depending on the mood and tense. Below are 4 types of love the bible consistently speaks of;

  • Storge is an affectionate love, the type of love one might have for family or a spouse.
  • Eros is passionate or sexual love eros is important within a marriage relationship and is created by God (see Song of Solomon)
  • Agape speaks of the most powerful, noblest type of love: sacrificial love. Agape love is more than a feeling—it is an act of the will. This is the love that God has for His people and that prompted the sacrifice of His only Son, Jesus, for our sins.
  • Phileo refers to brotherly love and is most often exhibited in a close friendship. Best friends will display this generous and affectionate love for each other as each seeks to make the other happy. The Scriptural account of David and Jonathan is an excellent illustration of phileo love.

So there I have 4 rules which by all rights, should be easy, comprehensible, and fulfilled in my everyday walk with Jesus, and my brothers and sisters. Problem is my carnal flesh has no idea what real, spirit lead love is. My flesh desire is to fulfill its’ own need, which is lustful and carnal in nature. To understand what true love is in the spirit, I must allow Jesus to show me through the scriptures and through the leading of the Holy Spirit, what true, blood bought love is. I must walk, depending on the type of relationship I have with someone, in all 4 of those examples of love. This is only done by following the leading of the Holy Spirit, and the will of the Father. Any other motivation of love is born of the flesh, and leading to a path of disillusionment, disappointment, and ultimately destruction.

Lastly, I have to understand that I can’t sustain relationship through my own will and intent. Desire of the Fathers love, and understanding what it means to be a son in the Lord, is the only way I will be able to sustain my relationships in the Lord, which envelops my wife, my children, grandchildren, family members and so on. Be rich in the Lord, and walk in His ways, and we will have a true concept of love.

Should Women Keep Silent in the Church? (Part 2) – Gary Florence

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Let’s go ahead a pick up where we lift off shall we. I was sharing about the word is the same yesterday, today and forever, actually that is not even in the bible. In Heb. 13:8 it says “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever”. I realize that according to John 1:1 it talks about Jesus being the word. There were many situations when I would argue about the word being the same, I actually was talking about the bible and the 66 books that is in it. I would say that the 66 books of the bible are the same yesterday, today and forever. Then one day I was reading something and was challenged on it. Moses was told by God if a son was disobedient to his parents and they couldn’t get it resolved they were to go to the elders and stone him. I don’t’ know about you, but I don’t read those types of headlines in the newspapers anymore.

He was also told that they were to circumcise their male children on the eighth day. Can you image in this day to tell the people working at the hospitals “We will be back in 8 days to have a child circumcised.” Here is a little tidbit concerning why God had them wait till the eighth day. That was when the vitamin K was at its highest level in their body to help with the clotting of the blood. Now a days they can just give them a shot.

Here is one from the New Testament. If somebody would come up to us and say that they sold 2 dozen Easter eggs for the building project but they only sold 1 1/2 dozen. Should we then like Peter with Ananias and Sapphira call down the judgment of God and strike them dead? So I need to ask myself a question, “Is the Bible the same yesterday, today and forever. I have discovered when just grabbing scripture out of context and applying them into the culture of our days that there is somethings we need to do. When need to ask “Who wrote it”

“Who was it written to” and “What the historical context of that day was.” The next time we get together we are going to apply them to Paul’s saying of should women keep silent in the church. Some of you might being thinking to yourself “I just want to know your answer so I can either hit my hot button or not.”

This is one reason why we have to dig a little deeper so we are not taking scripture out of context and throwing it into someone’s face. Trust me it will be worth the wait. In the meantime start your own bible study and read Acts 19: 22-28, this will give you a jump start for the next time we meet.