truth

What We Have Been Given (Part 1) – Frank Work

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I have never thought of myself as the smartest man in the room, I don’t have that mindset because I do know my limitations. To a point. I have learned, more through trial and error, what it means to make mistakes, and continually making mistakes, sometimes the same one over and over again. I am fallible. I am weak. In and of myself, I can’t stop the sin which wells up within me on a continuous basis. I battle the urge to not sin, my flesh wants to sin, because that is what the flesh does, it sins and it rebels against the precepts of God and His Holy Word. What I want to say is that I am broken in my desire to fulfill the will of God through my own accord. I can’t accomplish anything that God has set forth before me, because the flesh has no desire to seek the will of the Lord.

I know I am not alone in this. I am not alone as the enemy will assault my mind with the, “What could have been.” I lose my ability to reason, because there is no reasoning in the flesh. The flesh is filled with it’s own desires, it’s own plans and scenarios. Trying to reason with the flesh is like trying to reason with the wind to change direction, it’s impossible. Impossible, unless there is a power above the wind. A force that controls the wind. A Father who has spoken the wind into existences with a small exhale of His nostrils. In the flesh, we are lost in a cave with no light.

This page was a vision I had to bring the word of God to life in some form or fashion. To see the living word of God manifest in reality for those that read it’s articles. I heard today that the church has lost it’s way in seeking the true prophetic word of God. I as the church have lost my desire to hear the real truth of God. Why? Because the prophetic word as we know it today has been prostituted for gain of wealth, fame, and notoriety. Accountability of the prophetic has been lost. What once was, has grown dark. Matthew 5:47 to me, sums it up.

Matthew 5:47Amplified Bible

47 And if you greet only your brothers [wishing them God’s blessing and peace], what more [than others] are you doing? Do not even the Gentiles [who do not know the Lord] do that?

Don’t get me wrong. I do believe that God still speaks to His church. I do believe that the same Spirit that is in Jesus, is the same Spirit that resides in those who call Him Savior and Lord. We prophesy to those we know, because it’s comfortable to us. The enemy knows this, and exploits a weakness in us. It’s call insecurity of worth. If our only desire is to speak to the same 5-10 people over and over again, because we know they will agree with us, then we/I have lost my way into true intimacy with the Lord. I can only gain intimacy with the Lord by spending time with Him and in His presence. Getting to know who He is, and why He chose to save a poor sinner like me. Listen, the reason why Jesus saved me is just as important as the next question. What now?

What is the next step to understanding and walking in true and mature relationship with Jesus? Hopefully in the next several weeks, you and I can help one another understand the true nature of what it means to be a follower of Jesus, and how the Holy Spirit works in and through us. I don’t have any answers. I have a lot of questions. I have been following the Lord 20+ years and I am still asking questions. Is the prophetic still true and alive in our day, or have been duped by the charlatans who have tarnished it because of insecurity of worth? Help me with this journey and join me on this adventure.

Return to Your First Love – Karen Austin

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“I am loosing and removing the ropes that have had you bound. Just as there is an “unraveling” taking place in the earth, there is an “unraveling” taking place in My church. Things that wrapped you and confined you are being loosed. Bondage to tradition, false doctrines and beliefs are all breaking away as My truth is being revealed.

My people have walked in only a measure of freedom, but that is changing! They have become dissatisfied with the lack of power and the lack of not seeing what they believe. My church is pressing in. Former patterns of thinking, patterns of doing that which has not brought much fruit are breaking off. They are finding it is not in a doctrine. It is not in a “style” of ministry. It is not in what they can do, but it is only in what I will do! My church is coming back to their first love and making it once again only about Me.

When the focus of My church, their passion, their dreams are for Me alone, then comes all that they have desired. I must first have their heart. If I had released what was desired before My people were ready, it would have fallen to the ground and not produced the harvest that I desire. The power they sought would have destroyed them. My love for My church is too great to let this happen. Instead, I have allowed their “works” to become stagnant – until the desires of their hearts turned towards Me.

It will, it can only be, by My ways and in My timing. To know My ways and My timing, your eyes must be upon Me. But you must know this one thing: I must remain your One thing or what I desire you to move in will once again become stagnant. I must be your only source. I must be the One you seek, not just My gifts and My power. I desire that the fruit of My Spirit become so ripe in your walk that many shall partake of. I desire the fruit of My character be represented by those who are Mine. For to truly represent Me, you must walk in holiness. Yes, repent when you misstep and I will restore you.

Worship Me in the beauty of My holiness and I will shall wash away the things of the past…the pain, the losses, the failures, the betrayals. In the beauty of My holiness I will apply My eye salve upon your eyes that you may see clearly. I shall open your ears to hear My voice with clarity. I shall draw you near until your heart beats in time with Mine.”

“Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name. Bring an offering and come before Him; worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness.” 1 Chronicles 16:29

Sometimes We Can Lose Our Balance – Frank Work

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The 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 relationship, 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 our vows of matrimony apart at the seams. Marriage is no longer viewed as something sacred, or something to be cherished. It’s a check list of possibilities to that no longer hold any value in the culture of today. We laugh away divorce as though it’s no more of value 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 leads 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 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 war, which has already been 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 the clearer.” Our light into the darkness is the fire of Christ that burns with in 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 are 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. I in the past 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 on a daily basis, 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 life time; we will struggle as a Christian. For you 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 soul 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 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 will with you. The Lord of Host 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 soul and the Redeemer of our spirits.

Am I Being Prudent in What I Watch? – Frank Work

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During this time when many folks have been home bound due to the recent restrictions caused by the corona-virus, I have heard and read from many, “I am just going to binge watch Netflixs, Hulu”, or whatever streaming service you have. Here is the problem. We become complacent and let our guard down in an atmosphere of boredom. This is when the enemy will strike and strike hard. The deception though will be subtle, but devastating at the same time.

You know I have read article after article over the years on movies that have come out and whether I should watch them or not. I know, like many of you, I have watched my share of questionable movies. When I see a movie come out with a Christian undertone, overtone, middle tone, side tone, I instantly want to know, “Is it biblical? Are the messages that are being sent out through the waves of space from the screen to my waiting and eager eyeballs, ready to receive whatever message I am about to ingest?”

I love some of the most bizarre movies I can think of, and I have had more than one eye roll from my lovely wife when I am watching them. I am a “B movie” lover, I also love me a good ol’ fashion kung fu movie, complete with subtitles or bad lip syncing. For some reason for the past year, I have been watching exclusively Korean Television dramas. Why am I sharing what I watch? Because I want you to know, that I am struggling right there with you.

One thing I rarely do when I am watching non-Christian/non-biblical movies or programming, is the one thing I should be doing first, and that’s asking my heavenly Father if this is something he wants me to watch. It’s not hard, takes one or two minutes to ask a simple question. Wait for a response and move accordingly. Oh also, in my opinion, not hearing anything is not a green light to do what I want. Not hearing anything should mean, I need to wait, or I need to go to the word and seek out what the Father may be saying to me through scripture. Don’t fall into the trap of “Well I didn’t hear no so that must mean yes” because I know, dollars to donuts, (I don’t know why I used that analogy) the enemy will also be trying to speak to you and encouraging you to do the opposite of God’s purposes.

Being jaded by the world makes for increasingly poor communication between the Father’s heart and mine. The more I make decisions based off my experiences or others experiences, the more jaded I become. I am no longer trusting in the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, but I am trusting in this world.

It’s easy to fall into a trap of seeking knowledge elsewhere, rather than from the One who has endless knowledge and wisdom. One thing I am not saying is that research into something I don’t have knowledge off or experience in is bad, but if I make that my checks and balances to come to a conclusion, then I am missing the mark, and ultimately allowing my heart to become that much more jaded and distant from God.

Do I have any scriptures about seeking God’s will first and foremost in my life and everything I do? Glad you asked.

Matthew 6:33 (NKJV)

33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

1 Chronicles 22:19 (NKJV)

19 Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God. Therefore arise and build the sanctuary of the Lord God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord and the holy articles of God into the house that is to be built for the name of the Lord.”

Colossians 3:1-2 New King James Version (NKJV)

3 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

1 Chronicles 28:9
9 “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.

Those are promises I can cling to, now I just have to make it a part of my everyday life. I have failed, but I will keep trying as I encourage anyone who has gotten this far in reading this, to do the same.