Light

God is Dealing With Idols – Karen Austin

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While on a prayer call tonight, Holy Spirit led me to 1 Samuel 5:1-5 “After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. Then they carried the ark into Dagon’s temple and set it beside Dagon. When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! They took Dagon and put him back in his place. But the following morning when they rose, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold; only his body remained. That is why to this day neither the priests of Dagon nor any others who enter Dagon’s temple at Ashdod step on the threshold.”

What I sensed He was showing me was He has been trying to deal with our idols, but we keep putting them back in place. Now He is coming to us in our times of being shut away to deal with the things we have allowed to become idols in our lives. But this time, if we allow Him, He is cutting off the head and the hands of our idols. Biblical meaning of the head deals with the seat of reason and intellect. The head is the one who is leader. Biblical meaning of the hand represents control, ownership and power. So in this time, all the things that were as idols in our lives, He wants to disarm.

He has been showing me mindsets I had that were just a little out of line with His. He also has been showing me things that I didn’t realize before that I had put in place of His desires.

When we have idols in our lives, we cannot see Him clearly.1 John 3:2 “Beloved, now we are 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; for we shall see Him as He is.”His ultimate goal in every one of us is to be conformed into His image as mature sons. Thus the reason of His desire for the destruction of idols we keep putting back in place in our lives.

The other thing He highlighted to me was the word “threshold” in the scripture reference I began with. We have to cross over a threshold as a way of entrance and a way of exit. We have crossed the threshold into this season one way, but His intent for you and for me is for when we cross over the threshold to come out of this season, we will be like Him!

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

Stepping into Greater Authority – Karen Austin

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You are stepping into the realm of greater authority. I am giving you understanding that it is OK to use that authority. You will know when it is time to be silent and when it is time to speak.

I did not say “Sit still” or “Lay still” (as many are doing) and you would see My salvation. I said “Do not fear and stand*still: and see my salvation” [Exodus 14:13]. Keeping the peace at all costs is not what I spoke of in My Word. I said to remain in peace as much as it is up to you [Romans 12:18].

I am giving My Bride, those I have called, authority to lead with a spiritual backbone, which is actually the rod of iron that I spoke of in My Word [Revelation 2:26,27]. This is not a time to let down your guard. It is time take the land and rescue those who are trapped in darkness. It is time for those who know My Name to stand in the face of that which opposes My Word and My will. It is time to stand in your place of spiritual authority and take a stand for righteousness. For the enemy knows his time is short and he is no longer hiding in the shadows. His tactics are being made bare for all to see. The enemy is a legalist and will step through even the smallest defect in righteousness and truth. But know that your voice – even when quietly spoken – carries greater authority than the enemy’s roar, when you walk with Me and speak My Word.

*stand – Strong’s #3320 – To take one’s stand, to station oneself, taking a stand to fight

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.

Where will this battle find you?

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stand upThe world is turning faster than we can keep up with it. At times, we aren’t even sure if we can keep our balance with all the turmoil that surrounds our lives. The world’s view of relationships, especially marriage, is becoming skewed at best. Divorce rates in the body of Christ are at an all-time high, and we as the church have no one to blame but ourselves. We are allowing the enemy of our souls to rip the very fabric of our vows of matrimony apart at the seams. Marriage is no longer viewed as something sacred or something to be cherished. It’s a checklist of possibilities that no longer hold any value in the culture of today. We laugh away divorce as though it’s no more valuable than a stick of gum or a penny we find on the street. We aren’t concerned anymore about the likelihood that we will find a lifelong mate, in whom we can place our trust, our devotion, and, more importantly, our heart. Why is this? Why aren’t we fighting for our marriages?

Putting things into perspective, though, I can say that my wife and I have been close to being casualties of this war against marriages. This battle has been a long and sometimes very brutal conflict, which has led to the death of many marriages and relationships in Christ. The enemy is constantly trying to rip marriages apart, for one of the foundations of our faith is really based on marriage to Jesus, and an understanding of what it means to be a bride as it pertains to the body of Christ, awaiting her bridegroom, who is Jesus.  We watch with jaded eyes as our young people are being manipulated by the concepts and precepts of this world, who themselves are embracing a Hellenistic society where everything is permissible, and the idea of “living for the day” is being recited in volume that can’t be hushed by standing by and doing nothing.  We are losing, plain and simple. We are losing a battle that should be easily won. We are losing because we want to lose. We don’t want to fight anymore. We have become so exhausted from the trials of our own lives that we aren’t willing to fight for the next generation because the scars on our backs are too deep and too painful.

There is hope, though; there is always hope.  J.R.R. Tolkien wrote, “Even Darkness must pass. A new day will come, and when the sun shines, it will shine out all the clearer.”

Our light into the darkness is the fire of Christ that burns within each one of us, the light of hope and the light of glory. We aren’t alone by any stretch of the imagination, unless we want to be. Why do we choose to be alone? Because we have allowed ourselves to fall sway under the influence of many possible reasons. Shame, guilt, condemnation, fear, and the list is endless as to what may influence our choices to stand and fight as a congregational team, or stand and fall as an army of one. In the past, I have often thought, “I don’t need anyone else, I can do this on my own.” That, my friend, is a lie, plain and simple, a lie we tell ourselves daily. Either we are choosing to make wrong decisions, or we are being influenced by the power of the air, or really both.

We will struggle in this lifetime; we will struggle as Christians. For us to believe anything different is to believe in a doctrine of demons. This new wave of prosperity Christianity is robbing God of His glory and robbing the believer of the true power of Jesus. Why would James write the following scripture?

James 1:2-4 “2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

Our faith must and will be tested. Our marriages will be tested, our relationships will be tested. Our belief system will be tested. Everything in our lives will be tested, so that through this testing, our faith will be established in Jesus, and not in our own strength. We cannot and will not allow this world to catch us off balance! We will stand and fight the accuser of our souls and the enemy of our Lord. We must war for the salvation of our children and our grandchildren. This isn’t a choice, this is a mandate. Do not let the blood be on your hands because you sat and did nothing, when God in His word warns us. Stay with me, folks, don’t let me lose you, for scripture will always speak in ways that man cannot.

Ezekiel 33:1-6

33 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their watchman, 3 when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, 4 then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will save his life. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.

Simply put, if we who know the truth, and the truth is Jesus, and his scriptures are His words, if we sit and do nothing, then the blood of the lost and the broken will be on our hands. If we do not warn those who have fallen sway under the power of darkness, we will answer for not heeding the trumpet call of the Lord.

Is there someone that you know needs your prayers? Pray for them. Is there a co-worker who you know is distraught and struggling? Ask the Lord to give you the words of comfort to speak. Is there a marriage, or better yet, is your marriage breaking apart before your eyes? Stop fighting one another, swallow your hurt, your pride, and your shame, and seek the Lord together. Has your life become cold and lonely? Do not fret and do not fear, because my friend, you are not alone in this fight. The body of Christ will stand with you. The Lord of Hosts will stand with you. I will stand with you. Believe in prayer, believe in scripture, most of all, believe in Jesus, the lover of our souls and the Redeemer of our spirits.