V-MAIL TO THE FRONTLINE

PART 21

THE DESPERATION FACTOR (III)

I am embarrassed much of the time with what I present to God as my loyal service to Him. I want to please Him and know Him and I think about it constantly but am I really willing to obey and serve Him according to HIS will? I’ve come to the conclusion that I do not mind to serve Him my way and when it is convenient to my schedule, but I become frustrated when He wants me to do something irritating or unsuitable. For example; it is relatively easy to attend a regular weekly church service but what if it was 2 hours away on a weeknight? See what I mean? Allow me to ask “us” a question; how much are we “altering” His desires for us into similar deeds that are easier and that we feel more comfortable with? Instead of obeying The Holy Spirit when He nudges us, we are quick to argue our case with “reasons” (or excuses) that attempt to justify our own views (which is technically disobedience). I thought that being a sold out believer meant to abandon this life and have God at the top of our priority list all the time. I thought it was religion that molded Christianity to “fit” the carnal nature so they could flow together (compromise) like pie and ice cream? We would hate to think or admit that we are religious sometimes…wouldn’t we?

Technology has made our lives so self-sufficient, convenient and comfortable that if we are not careful we will design our own idea of “easy” Christianity instead of following God’s personal instructions. Most of us live in a nice house, drive nice cars and are blessed with lots of “stuff”. We are warm in the winter and cool in the summer. We eat well and can go out and buy clothes or whatever we need – whenever we want. My point is that we (for the most part) live without being desperate. Does our lifestyle of relaxing and enjoying our independence bleed over into our spiritual life? I believe it does. Maybe sometimes our life is gets in the way of truly living. When we control how we live for God, it means we look for divine appointments when it suits our frame of mind? I thought we were supposed to be “LED” by His voice and to “FOLLOW” His Spirit! I thought we were bought with a price and that He was Lord and we were servants? Remember Cain brought a load of vegetables to God because he must have thought they were very nice looking examples of what a gifted farmer could produce. But IT DID NOT MATTER how awesome his corn and beans was – it was all about being obedient to God’s perfect will and His conclusive demands. This is why the world of religion is inferior to the absolute truth of God and another reason why God lives in us – to LEAD US into doing what He has “called” us to do. Religion wants to create ideas and concepts of how to represent God’s Kingdom with good deeds but instead it always ends up being a manmade presentation that is based on mans effort, strength, creativity and glory. If anything we say or do does not have the aroma of heaven on it – it is just another example of man trying to impress God with his acts of human righteousness. Why would we need God if we could develop our own “works” and make our own decisions about what to do? And why would Jesus need to shed His blood if there was another way to “earn His approval and why would Jesus need to send the “comforter” to help us do God’s will if we could do it in our own ability? We could wrap-up our life in a pretty package and present it to God as we walk through the pearly gates, beaming with pride on a job well done. I believe that many will be surprised to find that having a burning (desperate) love for God and His Word along with the faith to obey Him in humility was what God was looking for.

Now brother Billy, let’s not become obsessed – you talk like a fanatic! There needs to be a balance – – – a balance of what??? We are already more logical than we need to be! We are more dignified, fearful and more knowledgeable, with more common sense and more doubt than ever! Are these the buttons and switches that cause our flesh to be cold and uncaring? Who is telling us to calm down and not worry about getting too serious, the Spirit of God or the enemy of our souls? If we allow our human carnality to rule us – we will slide down into a hypocritical pit where lifeless Pharisees brag about how beautiful their buildings are. The truth is; the church is asleep, the world is blind and ignorant and the devil has opened His floodgates of poison at an alarming rate – and somebody thinks we need to calm down? Our economy is collapsing and the anti-christ is very near to stepping onto the world’s stage which means there is no time to stand around and just watch the depression on the news every night. We cannot afford to allow our minds to become saturated with darkness like being addicted to a soap opera and become convinced that we cannot make a difference. We must spend our time “doing” our mission instead of just talking about it! Let me ask a question, is being desperate for God an emotional “feeling” or a spiritual calling? I believe that being desperate has always been a part of the spiritual humility that Jesus lived in and that is also crucial for our victory. We are not to be self-governing! We fall on our face and cry out to Him because we realize we are (and can do) nothing without Him – that is the beginning of wisdom in the fear of God and the holy revelation of spiritual desperation!

Many have been taught the miracles of God passed away when Jesus and His disciples left the earth which has given them the idea that we are on our own. They believe that we are to do the best we can until we go to heaven because there is no super-natural power to tap into. Allow me to say right now that all power of the Father and Jesus – in heaven and earth, lives within the believer and can be released by obedience through faith! The point of living in God’s presence is to hear His voice and respond in faith to obey HIS commands. Unfortunately, I know Christians that seem to live very independent without wanting God to intervene at all. No matter what they are faced with I have never heard them say anything about how they heard from God or if they asked Him about anything concerning personal decisions, finances, healing or direction. It seems they believe that He has given them the intelligence to figure everything out and they will meet Him in heaven someday to discuss how clever they were in their decisions. That might help you survive with living in an attic and eating macaroni but I believe that mans creativity, ability, strength, intellect, vision and aptitude alone cannot plan or guide the “perfect” destiny God has called us to live. I believe “human led” decisions have pulled the plug on many blessings and “wonders” that Satan has stolen. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In ALL thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths. Be not WISE in thine OWN eyes: fear the Lord and depart from evil”. (Proverbs 3: 5-7).

When we were redeemed, we became a tool in the hand of the Master builder. God has a specific task for each of His instruments and never intended His “followers” to blaze their own trail no matter how wise they may seem. The saw cannot do the work of a hammer but each works together toward building the structure. The nails do not tell the builder or plan how to secure the beams. The tools do not get together and create according to their own vision, but stay silent until the builder chooses to use them according to His blueprints. Our mission is to be ready to be used and live so close to Him that we can hear Him whisper as we take each step and speak each word. That is what Him being the LORD of our heart is all about! Since when have we been called to be self-reliant? If we choose everything on our own and make all the decisions about our life then we do not understand anything about being desperate for His presence. Those who live like this have created a religious idea of visiting Him at His Church on Sunday morning or reading a few verses of His Word now and then, but not allowing Him to control their everyday life. JUST GOING TO CHURCH IS NOT TAKING UP OUR CROSS AND FOLLOWING HIM! Being desperate for Him is thinking you are going to die if you cannot get into His Word or His presence. Christianity is a lifestyle of awareness that He is reigning on your hearts throne. Great revivals come because desperate people pray and fast! People are physically healed when they pray with desperate faith! People are saved when loved ones them pray with fervent intercession! God does not always move when He sees desperate need – He moves when He sees desperate faith!

We have heard the term “self-examination” and we usually associate it with repentance and that is good. We spend much time talking about the distractions and temptations of this life and I am not saying it is not true, but no matter how the cards are dealt it will always come down to the personal condition of the heart. Some may call this deepest part of our being a conscious, the mind, the will, our psyche or the seat of our soul and actually it is difficult to pinpoint where it is. But we know we have a brand new spirit that is our true identity and we will live forever after this body stops breathing, but it would seem our spirit and our mind would need to “flow together” in unity for there to be true success. It is true that our spirit has an understanding of the spirit world because that is the realm it lives in but if the mind disagrees – there is little or no spiritual progress. The reason it is so important for our mind to be transformed is so the chain of command between the “triune man” can move under the influence and anointing of the Holy Spirit. The heart is directly connected to what we see and hear and through a mysterious process discerns what to believe and how to respond. Our will makes decisions based on information and develops convictions and the third part (the body) responds to these decisions and automatically carries out the instructions as the servant. The machine is very complex but in the world of human behavior (which is so crucial in the Christians life) I believe this is an exception where knowing what makes the clock “tick” – is essential to knowing what time it is. Selah.

V-MAIL TO THE FRONTLINE

PART 20

THE DESPERATION FACTOR (II)

I ask myself today; am I really desperate for God? Is being with Him the most important thing to me? Is living for Him more important than the cozy little life I am building? Am I ready to abandon this world to not only gain eternity but to live in His Divine Reality NOW? I need to make sure my marching boots are laced and my spiritual weapons are sharp and ready? How do you believe a soldier feels when they are moments away from going into hand to hand battle with a fierce enemy? No joking around, laughing or sleeping. When the dust of enemy’s horses can be seen on the horizon – that is the time soldiers get “desperately” close to God. Well, we are on the front lines right NOW and our enemy is attacking from all sides and in order to be a true overcomer tomorrow we must die to our carnality today. We are serious, we are sober and we are courageous in the faith that God is greater in us than the spirit of this world! We know we are fighting for the winning side and no weapon formed against us shall prosper! We must not allow the comforts of this life to lull us to sleep. When the blessings of this life become a distraction and prevent us from walking in God’s presence then WE have made a wrong turn! We cannot blame the abundant life – we make choices everyday to whom we will serve and blessings were never intended to become idols! Staying desperate for His presence proves our love for Him is white hot! Many cry out in desperation for God to “fix” tragedies when they happen – but how many stay desperate for Him when they are happy and everything is going great? Selah.

“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force”. (Mathew 11:12) Webster’s New World Dictionary uses the words “violent” and “extremely” serious when describing the word desperate. This type of desperation is what moves mountains and brings the manifestation of miracles. The “violent” that embrace the Kingdom of heaven are referring to the aggressive attitude that we all should have – if we are who we say we are. If we are not what we say we are, it is not too late to admit ourselves into spiritual “rehab” and allow God to do some “reconstructive” surgery. Lukewarm Christianity is having one hand on the world and the other hand on the kingdom and God is waiting for His people to let go the world and put both hands on His Word. Allow me to share a small portion of Mathew Henry’s commentary as I feel it has an insightful contribution to this scripture; “The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence – (biazetai -vim patitur), like the violence of an army taking a city by storm, or of a crowd bursting into a house, so the violent take it by force. This violence denotes a strength, and vigor, and earnestness of desire and endeavor, in those who followed John’s ministry, else they would not have come so far to attend upon it. It shows us also, what fervency and zeal are required, of all those who design to make heaven of their religion. Note, They who would enter into the kingdom of heaven must strive to enter; that kingdom suffers a holy violence; self must be denied, the bent and bias, the frame and temper, of the mind must be altered; there are hard sufferings to be undergone, a force to be put upon the corrupt nature; we must run, and wrestle, and fight, and be in an agony, and all little enough to win such a prize, and to get over such opposition from without and from within. The violent take it by force. They who will have an interest in the great salvation are carried out towards it with a strong desire, will have it upon any terms, and not think them hard, nor quit their hold without a blessing, Gen. 32:26. They who will make their calling and election sure must give diligence. The kingdom of heaven was never intended to indulge the ease of triflers, but to be the rest of them that labor. It is a blessed sight; Oh that we could see a greater number, not with an angry contention thrusting others out of the kingdom of heaven, but with a holy contention thrusting themselves into it!” Jesus, give us more holy fire!

We can look back in history and see how violence has been a part of the struggle between good and evil. But violence is not only referring to external situations as I believe this scripture can also be used to describe the “war” within our own temple. The old nature must be handled with violent determination in order to keep it under submission and establish the constant authority of Christ as Lord. The zeal and vision to live in the Divine Reality will not come with a weak “whim” but with being equipped with full spiritual armor and violent intensity to overcome our flesh and the darkness of the default system. How desperate are you to see His Word and His glory cover the earth? God is saying that for us to have results in our own spiritual development we must get off the couch and come out of our pajamas! We cannot allow the depressing condition of the world to cause us to bury our head in the sand and wait for the rapture. It is He who is waiting for us to understand His personal orders and be filled with His power to accomplish His will. Many in the body of Christ are leaving the doors open to their heart and allowing the enemy to dictate their life. While they play religious “tiddlywinks” the devil is binding their anointing and bringing discouragement to further drag down and immobilize God’s army. “How can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strongman? And then he will spoil his house”. (Mathew 12:29)

We also cannot deny our responsibility to grow into the position to be used with signs and wonders because Mark 16:17-18 say’s that super-natural power will follow those who “believe”. “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them, they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover”. In today’s church environment 99% of the people watch the 1% do all the work. They sit back and pitch in a few dollars so the frontline warriors can devote their life to God’s Kingdom. But Jesus did not say for “just the bold ones” to step out by faith – but ALL who call themselves a follower of Christ! The masses are not desperate to be used in the trenches of “mud and blood” because it’s easier and more secure to cheer others as they sacrifice their life and do the hand-to-hand combat. Whoever heard of a non-violent warrior?

And what about being desperate to see our lost loved ones come to know Jesus as their personal Savior? Are we fervently, desperately (violently) interceding and standing in the gap everyday? Why am I not fasting for revival (not to try and force God to move) but because faith with works is alive and filled with explosive miracle power! Father wants us to lay hands on the sick and for them to recover just like Jesus did. He wants us to manage the wealth of the fallen world system so His children may have all their needs supplied and have more than enough to finance His Kingdom. He wants us to walk in His wisdom and knowledge so His Word can rule the legal system with His perfect judgment. He wants His people to walk in the power and fruits of His Spirit with discernment and the super-natural gifts of His Spirit. In your name Lord, shake me and stir me, to a higher level of awareness. Convict me that I may comprehend what living more desperate and violent for you means. Break my heart and cause me to weep for the lost and hurting. Amen.

V-MAIL TO THE FRONTLINE

PART 19

THE DESPERATION FACTOR (I)

“Yes, doubtless and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ. And be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death”. (Philippians 3: 8-10)

“At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes”. (Mathew 11:25)

I have been troubled by the recent events lately and I feel an attack on my mind through an overload of information. I love to live in peace and the joy of God’s glorious salvation but I confess that I feel surrounded by worry and unrest. The media loves to squeeze every drop of drama out of every news flash for the purpose of stimulating our emotions. But being over-stimulated brings a condition of “numbness” and this “zombie” state of mind is the war strategy of Satan that intends to keep God’s people more concentrated on the problems than the solutions. If the saints live in a state of panic and act like they do not have a clue what to do, how are they going to be a help when things really start to fall apart? Now is the time we must decide, are we going to be an OVERCOMER or embrace the default which is weak and ineffective? Are we going to be Holy Ghost filled “lights” in the darkness that will help lead others to Jesus? Or are we going to spend these last hours hiding under the bed hoping that Jesus will rescue us from being uncomfortable? We are on a mission to tell the blind ones about the world we are from and the joy of living with God NOW and forever! We should not be agreeing with everyone we talk to about how hopeless things are looking but we should be an “instant optimist” about how wonderful it is to know that God is in total control and what an awesome privilege it is to walk with Him in His Divine Reality. Yes, but how do we do that without looking like an arrogant, know it all, “holier than thou” fanatic? How DESPERATE are you to serve on the frontline? We need to pray in the mornings before we go to work that God will use us in Divine appointments all day long. If we sincerely desire for this to happen then we must by faith EXPECT super-natural miracles to manifest. Being sensitive to who we are talking with and what they are saying will prove beneficial as God gives us the words to say. When we flip the switch and begin communicating in our old nature then we usually come into agreement with carnality. This makes us less effective to everyone because when people REALLY want to know truth – will they go to someone who believes like they do? Selah.

We know what is coming and God is saying to all of His children to be prepared for ministry! Concentrating all of our time and energy on the material world will not help anyone in the days of great spiritual need. We have been through boot camp and have now been deployed to be used as a tool of Divine intervention with everyone we communicate with!
If that is not the purpose of our mission – then I challenge you to explain what walking in the Spirit is? “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring. Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven will be shaken”. (Luke 21:25-26)

I do not rejoice when I see vengeance being taken. I am sad at the condition of the human heart and the abominable acts the conscience can carry out. Jesus was serious and aggressive but He was also a tender hearted man of sorrows because He knew the depravity of a human soul. I do not want to kill all of the bad people of the world – I would rather see them encounter a Divine appointment from the Holy Spirit and surrender their heart to Jesus. I feel the sorrow for the darkness and violence of the world. Negative energy is sin and to become filled with rage and unforgiveness is like pouring fire on our love as it steals the strength of our joy. I must choose (the same as you) to stay focused on the promises of God’s Word and the hope of His glory that dwells within my heart. Beyond the death threats from the kingdom of darkness, the tragic loss of a respected prophet and a world of violence and unrest, there is a place of peace and victory today – under the shadow of God’s wings. Tune out the voices of doom and turn off the incoming flow of fear because they are sharpened arrows aimed at our heart. Let us gather knowledge of God’s Word instead of drinking in the poison of the devil’s taunting! Our hope is not invested in this dying world! Our future home is the Holy city, New Jerusalem!

We all are faced with two different desperations in this hour. They are completely opposite in nature as one is from the Kingdom of heaven and the other from the darkness of hell. They both wait for us to embrace them and each one has the power to lead us and control us. The good desperation comes from a revelation of who God is and a sold-out desire to love Him with all of your strength. The awareness of His presence creates an automatic sense of humility which in turn leads us to obedience. When we willingly pull away from this default system and become completely committed to walking and living in His presence we realize how much more desperate we are to stay as close to Him as we can. As we sing and lift our hands in praise we are filled with joy and the freedom to rejoice and dance to clap our hands, cheer, exalt, shout, run and jump around and communicate our gratefulness. Worship is a deeper level of our declaration of love and dependence to Him and prayer is an even more intimate place of DESPERATION to get closer to Him and to know Him more. The more serious we are about “knowing” Him – the more determined we will press into Him! Our love is proven by how much time we spend with Him.

Desperate people pray fervent prayers! The definition of fervent in the Webster’s New World Dictionary is “hot, burning, boiling and glowing. Having or showing great warmth or feeling; intensely earnest”. That is the problem with the modern church – They do not understand DESPERATION or the need to be fervent. Many of the prayers are weak which matches their commitment to Christ. The religious world has adopted the comfortable concept that everything will be ok in the end.

Adam was given access to the inheritance of the Kingdom of God but he lost His authority just as Lucifer lost His. Mans destiny was to rule the world in the power of God’s Word and Spirit. God’s will is for His people to walk in spiritual authority NOW because Jesus has restored God’s Kingdom through His blood covenant. God’s Kingdom and all of His treasures are now residing inside the hearts of His people. But many saints have not become DESPERATE enough to seek and find the revelation of this Divine Reality.

What about walking in God’s presence and seeing our lost loved ones coming to know Jesus as their personal Savior?
What about being debt free and living in the abundance of financial security so we can finance God’s Kingdom?
What about being sensitive to divine appointments and speaking God’s messages to everyone we see?
What about knowing when to reach out to listen and counsel or heal someone with a cut finger or a terminal illness?
What about raising people from the dead? Is that impossible?
What about walking in such a powerful anointing that people are saved on the spot when we tell them about Jesus?
What about walking so pure and holy in God’s reverence and humility that people can see and feel Jesus in us?
What about being used to manifest God’s signs, wonders and miracles so the world may know that the Father is the One true Almighty God? Are these not the orders for our mission?

We cannot say “I believe God can do it” and expect to receive because that is not faith. It is like saying I believe God can save me if He wants to. The heathen believe there is a God – they even believe God is who He says He is. And the devil also believes more than anyone because He has dealt with God for who knows how long. Satan “knows” God is true and he knows He is the Almighty God of everything! But that does not mean he will change or receive benefits from Him. Somehow we must find the key that can unlock the revelation of getting what we know to manifest in our life. We are reading, praying and decreeing God’s Word everyday but are not seeing or experiencing the signs, wonders and miracles that we know God wants to do through us. We are not DESPERATE because we have allowed the blessings of the default system soften our need to fight. The fire in our belly has become quenched with pleasure and our aggressive war-mode is now become an expert on compromise. We are groggy from the excess of food and the desire to sleep. Warriors cannot take off their armor and sit in the lazy boy every night entertaining their flesh. God’s blessings are to be enjoyed but never intended to absorb us as we indulge our carnality to the point of living in a self-induced coma. Revive us Oh God! The giant has fallen asleep!
The abundant life is about spiritual discipline and holy wisdom not about who has the biggest house or who has built the largest 401K retirement account. When God’s people become DESPERATE to see the revealing of His power and glory – miracles will happen and lives will be changed! But what is it going to take for God’s people to fall on their face in humility?

V-MAIL TO THE FRONTLINE

PART 18

THE POWER OF PERSUASION

“Wherefore He say’s, awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee light. See then that you walk circumspectly (cautiously), not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise but understanding what the will of the Lord is”. (Ephesians 4:14-17)

In this age of instant information it is difficult to escape the flood of politics along with the discouragement of being constantly disappointed in our leaders, but we must always remember – there are reasons why things are the way they are and much of it has to do with the failure of Christians – to be Christians. Since leaders are “selected” by a majority, our political mess reveals the ugly fact that ungodly leadership is a reflection of a high percentage of ungodly people. Allow me to say that it is a blessing to live in a free democratic system but when the fear of God is thrown out and His Word becomes insignificant in the matters of earthly importance – that society is going down a dead-end street! The default system has always been corrupt (and always will be) which is the very reason to not support it or become absorbed in it. We cannot “convert” the system without the people being born again because everyone is blind until Jesus opens their eyes. Even when Christians are elected and public religious presentations are attempted, they can very quickly become politically motivated and carnally contaminated from the “system”. What are we to do? Stay focused on your relationship with Jesus and follow His instructions with everyone you come in contact with.

Yes I vote, but how far should I get caught up in the chaos of a presidential race that will result in another puppet face which is actually controlled by the powers of the satanically controlled default system? I’m not trying to paint a picture of negativity but rather exposing the destiny of a fallen world. We must believe God’s Word is true and that it reveals the continuing deterioration of the human conscience. The growing rejection and absence of God’s presence will result in the “Day of the Lord” apocalypse that has been prophesied and is waiting on the horizon. Now, brother what are you saying; that I should become like the Amish and live an isolated life away from the airwaves? Are you saying to block out the world and only be filled with God’s Word and learning how to know Him more intimately? I will let you answer that. I am saying that as I talk to friends at work or even strangers while pumping gas, my conversation sounds like the worry and anxiety of a non-believer. I am absorbing so much pessimistic garbage from the media that I am starting to talk like this world is my home. If I am truly a spiritual visitor from the Divine Reality, I need to share the good news about how to be delivered from the entanglements of this evil deception. I need to believe the gospel is the cure to heal the disease of hopelessness. I need to share how we all can live happy and be filled with God’s joy even as the world grows cold and more distant to His truth. So if I believe that I can make a difference – why don’t I do it?

People are not lacking passion – they are lacking Jesus! Humans have always been stubborn and violent when it comes to fighting for what they believe. How many people have been killed over theological doctrine? The Crusades, the Catholic Church, the Middle Eastern wars and even Jesus Himself was killed over Biblical disagreement. But violence is driven by emotions not necessarily truth, which is why without Jesus – all people are dangerous! This brings us to the heart of the problem and that is; the majority of all people are uninformed about most subjects! The old nature is filled with “opinions” about everything yet understands very little about anything. The natural mind constructs worldviews on the foundations of personal preference the way a child chooses which crayon to color with. We are convinced about what we believe but most of the time we do not have a clue to how we came to our conviction. We daily wade in the mire of information that is too much for us to process as we sit in the seat of judgment about issues we do not comprehend and do not have time to research. (We can now see more clearly why there are thousands of different churches that believe differently and why pride prevents them from respecting each other). The daily avalanche of knowledge is more than we need to process because – we simply need to spend more time with Jesus.

The natural mind protects its convictions by building a fortified castle around conclusions and automatically provides the pride of false security with being armed and ready to attack or defend. But those who have given themselves completely to the Divine Reality are too busy bowing before the King who rules the seat of their soul with red-hot enthusiasm as they worship The Lord who rules on their hearts throne. God’s children are letting go of the entanglements and cutting ties with this worlds system because they can feel it dragging them down with the heaviness of sin. They are removing it from their eyes and ears because the confusion is bombarding their mind and preventing them from focusing clearly on the voice of Christ. They are armed and ready not with political or religious arguments but with the “Word power” of freedom! God’s Word releases us from the chaos and misery of worry and anxiety by giving us a new way of thinking, a new Kingdom to concentrate on and a loving Savior to adore forever. We are not representatives of a cursed world – we represent The Kingdom of God and Jesus as its King of all Kings! We walk in God’s truth and are used as vessels to manifest His anointing and super-natural signs, wonders and miracles! We stand and obey His will, no matter what the default system does and we will not be moved or persuaded to follow the voice of a stranger!

Human nature was described by Jesus Himself as being like a sheep. It is a fact that sheep are dumb, need to be led and are scared of their own shadow. (In the natural realm which is more wise and the deeper thinker; a sheep or a fox?) This is why God wants to fill us with His Holy Spirit so we can walk in His “dynamite” power and wisdom. We cannot afford to function in the old man mentality because that nature cannot see or understand spiritual reality. The bible is filled with God pleading to His people to pull away from the distractions of this world and “learn” His spiritual knowledge and wisdom so they might rise above the crippling disease of ignorance. Our enemy laughs at how easy it is to “persuade” humans and has designed this entire default system around deceiving them and destroying their lives. Instead of walking around in a carnal stupor we need to see the true “reality” of who we are, where we are and what we are doing so we might know where we need to change and how to break free from the negative influences that keep us in bondage. Once we have heard the truth about change and know it is from God, we are held accountable to be His good and faithful servant.

Now, brother Billy let’s not get fanatical about the dangers of being saturated in the default system, we know how tempting its persuasion can be. Well, that is one of the problems my friend, we know about it but do not seem to have the revelation that will cause us to stop indulging in it. The power of persuasion does not always happen instantly but is very effective by using repetition. This is the golden rule of the advertisement and marketing industry and is the most productive forms of temptation by the media. Have you ever thought about the raging daily battle for our attention? Living and walking in the Spirit of God (the Divine Reality) is the awareness of His presence and “thinking” about Our Heavenly Father constantly. The devil knows what the Divine Reality is and uses anything he can to “push out” our thoughts of God and replace them with thoughts that concern our success and pleasure. Our mind can become so crowded with “busy thinking” that we lose the purpose and urgency of our mission. The fallen world system knows that whatever has priority in our brain is what we will focus on because whatever sits on the throne of our heart is what we will obey. Whatever is in the well will come up in the bucket which means the thoughts in our conscience will rule our words and actions. If the enemy can rule everyone’s mind – he can rule the world! I watch television sometimes but I know there is something wrong with intentionally exposing myself to a system that has designed this distraction as a weapon of war. I must be convincing myself that my mental resistance is stronger than the power of the devil’s persuasion! I must be arrogant to believe I can handle going back and forth from His presence to the default like a ping pong ball! Why do I torture myself with guilt after allowing myself to be mesmerized with a world of illusion and emptiness? Why would I choose anything like entertainment, materialism or the cares of this world over being in the glory of The Almighty? Because I have not become desperate for His presence! I have been lulled into an existence of trying to live with one foot in the Divine and the other in the default.

I enjoy the fruit of the abundant Covenant life but when I become fat and lazy with all of my blessings, I have crossed over into a self-absorbed carnality that God never intended! Living only for my flesh is a trait of the old man because that is how the ungodly live but “investing” our life into God’s Kingdom is multiplying God’s Word! Walking in His Spirit means we desire to please Him in all of our decisions – all the time. Every time you have a thought or speak a word, ask yourself – who am I honoring, God or the devil? If you are not honoring God, you are by “default” honoring the devil! Becoming desperate for Jesus will require us to let go of the weights of sin that drags and prevents us from winning the race. Today, who has the “power of persuasion” in your life?

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PART 17

FINDING OUR HAPPY PLACE

“Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding; for her proceeds are better than the profits of silver and her gain than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies and all the things you may desire cannot compare with her. Length of days is in her right hand, in her left hand riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her and “happy” are all who retain her.” (Proverbs 3:13-18)

When I hear a title like that, I instantly gravitate to it like a magnate to see what words of wisdom I can spiritually “harvest”. The word “happy” is translated many places as “blessed” and of course I want to be happy and I want my life to be filled with all spiritual and earthly blessings. We pray for favor and daily confess that we will continue growing and learning how to accomplish God’s will – and Praise God we are! So why is it that occasionally I find myself discouraged and sad? I’m sure you also have times when you feel a little down with sensations of being overwhelmed with worry about your problems and the state of this world. Sadness is everywhere (even in the Church) and we do not have to be a psychologist to see how depression has now become a common emotional state of being. We see the advertisements and hear about the millions of people on these medications, but chemical imbalances are not the only cause for feeling sad. We know the enemy attacks the mind because it is the control center to our life and it is not a playful wrestling match – it is a vicious war that uses live ammo. Our adversary loves to set an ambush every chance we give him and his snipers are deadly accurate. It is true that our fleshly bodies can “malfunction” (which is why we should speak God’s word over our body and mind everyday) but we also cannot rule out the reality of demonic oppression. We must realize that each day when our eyes open, we stand at a crossroad. We can choose to allow our spirit to speak to our mind and body and command they line up with God’s Divine reality every minute of the day and night or we can “revive” our old nature and resuscitate him to lead us in the ways of the carnal default system. Remember, whichever side we choose, our words confirm and establish what we will receive. Thinking and speaking is power! By the principal of agreement we will become what we believe and what we say.

We have heard that “happiness” is based on happenings. In the natural realm when good things are happening we are happy and when bad things are happening we are “unhappy”. This is how the lost live because they have no other well to draw from. But when we became born-again, our brand new spirit came with a direct connection to a heavenly dimension that transformed us from a tiny dark prison cell to the infinite realm of the glorious revelation of God’s Omnipotence. We now can experience knowing God personally along with manifesting the fruit of The Holy Spirit and joy now comes and fills us with hope even when we are going through severe trials. We can still be happy when life is good but we do not need to be sad when unpleasant situations arise because the strength of joy and the understanding of hope will sustain us. It is time to believe what we know! Since our battles are fought in the mental realm – our victory depends on what we choose to believe about God and our identity in Him which means the problem is not being able to hear truth – it is learning how to translate His words into “life changing” revelation knowledge. Walking in His Divine reality is to know the mind of Christ “in season and out” and allowing Him to control our thoughts, words and actions every minute. Yes, this is difficult, which is why we do not have time to go after Him and His Word with a lukewarm half hearted attitude. How can we be used in a divine appointment if we are not even aware of His presence? “That I may know Him” – must become a lifestyle because there are miracles we need to release that can change the course of those who desperately need a touch from Jesus and who may be on the edge of eternity. Obeying God – IS our joy!

I was talking to The Lord about my discouragement last week and I sensed Him relay to me (hard to explain) the idea of being thankful as a key to being happy. I stopped and jotted down the basic thought and when I sat down to write I began to see how profound this can be to our life. Humility and meekness is connected to being grateful and causes us to bow down and worship God for who He is and the life He has given to us. On the other hand we can see how being spoiled and not appreciating God’s blessings goes hand in hand with being bored, restless, angry, aggravated, spoiled, resentful, proud, boastful, sarcastic, egotistical, conceited and vain. We notice some people that have everything life can offer end up being miserable. They may turn to drugs, alcohol, fleshly pleasures and even prescription medicines to ease their pain. Some may ask, “What pain?” what could they possibly be trying to find? They are in agony from the absence of happiness! They have lost touch with being grateful for what they do have and have focused all of their energy and imagination on what they do not have. You see, being thankful is directly connected with being content and if you think about it, you can perceive how being content brings peace – and being in peace brings joy and happiness. This is a great study as it involves things like – satisfaction – thanking God for His forgiveness – our spiritual identity and inheritance, the blood Covenant of Christ, our destiny to be an overcomer and the overall appreciation for the chance to live. If we direct our attention to being thankful for who God is and who we are in Him, then in turn we will stay mesmerized with His presence. And of course under the shadow of His wings is the only true peace that passes all understanding. Having the reverential fear of who He is and knowing how much He is focused on us, will always take the place of what we do not have. Could anything in the universe be more satisfying than resting our head on His bosom? “Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore”. (Psalm 15:11) Being clean before Him covers us with peace and joy.

I read a story several years ago about Anne Rindfleisch, a young lady that was born with no arms at all. (It is difficult to comprehend life without being able to use your hands or arms.) But she is very determined to not be discouraged and lives each day with an optimistic attitude. I clipped the story to keep and actually framed her picture sitting at her computer typing with what looks like a small wooden rod in her mouth and a pencil eraser on the other end. She says that she is thankful for life and does not want to dwell on what she cannot do but (with God’s help) to utilize the many things she can do. I quote her, “Your life is what you put into it. If you make it Productive and happy, you’ll be happy”. Short and simple! Being happy is a state of mind and being filled with joy is a state of spirit.
“Happy is he that has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God”. (Psalm 145:5) I want to write you a prescription (take 2 of these and call me in the morning Ha!) Make a list of all the things you love and are thankful for this week and when you finish the list I guarantee you will feel joy and happiness. To be able to walk and talk with God personally is the greatest miracle we could ask for. Our salvation is secure because of His great love for us and the suffering Jesus endured on the cross. He rose from the dead and broke the chains of hopelessness for all who would reach out by faith and receive Christ as Lord of their heart. I remember the old song Ethel Waters used to sing in the Billy Graham crusades years ago. Listen to the words, (This song always makes me cry).


Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come?

Why should my heart feel lonely and long for Heaven and home?

When Jesus is my portion, a constant Friend is He:

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches over me

His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me.

 
Let not your heart be troubled, His tender word I hear,

And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;

Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see:

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.


Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,

When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,

I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free:

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He cares for me;

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He cares for me.

I SING BECAUSE I’M HAPPY, I SING BECAUSE I’M FREE

HIS EYE IS ON THE SPARROW, AND I KNOW HE WATCHES ME

HIS EYE IS ON THE SPARROW, AND I KNOW HE WATCHES ME.


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PART 16

LYING DOWN IN GREEN PASTURES

There are times when we all need to talk to someone and
It’s good to have compassionate Christian friends that are sensitive and who sincerely care about us. But if the questions are more than our friends can answer and we need more help in dealing with certain problems, a Christian counselor is an excellent idea. In this stressful world of negative criticism and the demand for perfection, it is good to receive the mercy of Agape love from someone we can share our deepest thoughts within the trust of confidentiality. Do we have fears of being embarrassed? Of course we do and it is normal to worry about being judged and being seen as spiritually weak or losing our mind because who wants to compromise their integrity? (We know that our “witness” and reputation is directly connected to our ministry because how others trust us being led by the Holy Spirit has a lot to do with how effective we are). But the truth is that we all have valleys every now and then and times where we have questions where we just need some honest answers that can encourage us and help us see more clearly.

It is common for people to believe they can take care of the sadness and discouragement themselves. Some are convinced if they talk about it long enough or just toughen-up and work through it, they will wake up and their life will return to normal. This may be true for some issues because time can heal and the way we feel about something today might look a lot different a month from now because we have had time to consider new information that we did not recognize in the heat of the conflict. Friends or family will not always have the “magic formula” of answers that we seek – because there are times when we must have the direct voice of God for specific personal direction. One thing is for sure, at the end of each day it is always best to enter the closet of intimacy with God and pour out our heart to Him. Examining our conscience the light of His presence is the only power that can keep us clean. The worst thing we can do is allow a “wound” to become infected by not taking it to the Great Physician. If we have sinned we need to confess and tell Him that our behavior was not in His character and our witness was not in His image. He already knows all about it but our repentance and confession washes us in His blood and renews a right spirit in us. “For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to understand and sympathize and have a shared feeling with our weaknesses and infirmities and liability to the assaults of temptation, but One who has been tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sinning. Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God’s unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy (for our failures) and find grace to help in good time for every need (appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it)”. (Hebrews 4:15-16 AMP.)

It is pride and arrogance to boast about how well we defended our position and how wrong everyone else was in our disagreements. We might walk away from a conflict as the “champion” in our own mind but as we leave a trail of damaged relationships, the witnesses can only see and feel the discouragement of the smoldering bridges. There are no winners when God’s children make war against each other as there is no such thing as “anointed” or God inspired friendly fire. Through spiritual love and humility we can find the peace, restoration and forgiveness we desperately seek. Life is all about living each moment under His control.

How we all need to see through the eyes of Christ to expose how proud and prejudice we really are. What super-natural intervention will God need to create, that we might learn to exercise forgiveness with all people? We notice the same carnal attitude in the story of the two men who went to pray in the temple where the one thanks the Lord that he is not like the other man. It is a self-righteous attitude and fleshly mindset to think that everyone else needs prayer and yet remain blind to the true reality that everyone including ourselves is desperately needy. What causes us to be so cold and indifferent, selfish or suspicious? Did our parents have such a negative effect on our psyche that it deformed our personality? Was it the world views we heard or the attitudes we picked up on that causes us now to go sideways and think distorted? Are we the way we are because of traditions or events that happened to us as a child? Maybe some of the problems we avoid stirring up – are the very damns of deception that need to be torn down so that God’s river of true reality can be revealed to us – and flow through us.

It seems we all crave respect and will do anything to get it, even if it will hurt us in the long run. When we do not get it we feel rejection, anger and a sense of humiliation. The enemy taunts us with thoughts that people are using us and taking advantage of our good nature. We begin to think people are laughing at us behind our back and that we are not being appreciated. We all want to be loved and feel needed because without this sense of belonging we believe we have failed in our ministry and our destiny. We want the sense of confidence and importance and to know our contribution was significant.

Then of course there some that hold on to their problems because it gives them the attention they crave. They use the crisis to satisfy their own need for “drama” which becomes a more serious issue than the original difficulty. But across the board the truth is always the same; God is not moved by need – He is moved by faith! Lying on the couch “pouting” is not going to produce a bountiful manifestation and daydreaming is not a substitute for obedience or hard work! We cannot reap until we plant and we will harvest specifically what we have sown. The time between being “patient” and the “manifestation” always calls for being diligent, faithful, staying focused and keeping our hand to the plow. “Do not be deceived and deluded and misled; God will not allow Himself to be sneered at (scorned, disdained, or mocked by mere pretensions or professions, or by His precepts being set aside) He inevitably deludes himself who attempts to delude God. For whatever a man sows – that and that only is what he will reap. For he who sows to his own flesh (lower nature, sensuality) will from the flesh reap decay and ruin and destruction, but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life”. (Galatians 6:7-8 AMP.)

We all have our own “issues” that we should be working on instead of spending our time trying to “fix” other peoples problems. We can pray for them (and we should) but one human cannot (spiritually, psychologically or physically) heal another human. This is why secular psychiatrics are the equivalent of putting a band aide on a broken arm. Even in Christian psychology, Warren Wiersbe has been quoted as saying, “It is not the mission of Christian therapist to solve other peoples problems but rather help them develop a working relationship with God’s grace so they can become enabled to understand and solve their own problems.” The messenger can deliver the message but the listener has free-will.

There is a dangerous trend happening in our country and it deals with many people thinking they are a victim whether it is their fault or not. Our legal system has provided the opportunity to confuse and manipulate truth along with “cashing in” our integrity and morals and this has caused a decrease in the overall respect for everything and everyone. Counseling that encourages a “victim mentality” adds fuel to the fire as the common trend grows more popular to avoid discipline and personal responsibility. This lack of respect can spread like an infection and can chain react into a negative view of our spouse, parents, children, our employer, our government and even our pastor. It is the glorification of personal pride; the same reaction as Adam and Eve had when they willingly disobeyed God in the garden. It is always someone else’s fault and a mindset that everything could be better if they would do it this way. To live life as an armchair quarterback is to subconsciously live on a pedestal where our critical judgment consumes our thoughts which in turn can lead to depression, anxiety, anger, resentment, bitterness and hopelessness.
Society as a whole can become mentally and emotionally brainwashed over a period of time because as they begin to view themselves as blameless, everything that happens from the time of their own personal crisis is automatically thrown into the category of it being someone else’s fault. Victimization mentality causes individuals to seek a scapegoat rather than a Savior because they believe the person who caused the problem is the one who “really” needs a Savior. Unforgiveness is deceptive and builds rebellious walls of resentment. Since the true revelation of freedom is an awareness and understanding of God’s Word, those held in bondage continue to suffer until they choose to surrender to God. But, Praise The Almighty for His grace and forgiveness that can unlock our prison of emotional torment and release the joy of knowing Him as LORD!

If we are thirsty to go deeper with God and are willing to be a
living sacrifice then we will be more serious about our own spiritual development. If we are satisfied with playing religious games our advancement into His Divine reality becomes very limited and lying down in green pastures is just a dream. We can read the Bible, go to church every night and go to a new counselor every week but nothing will change us until we become serious about staying on God’s operating table and allowing Him to do the brain and heart surgery He needs to do. Just because people are given sound advice does not mean they will apply it. My wife Cheryl say’s, happiness is a condition of the heart and a state of mind. She is right! Walking in God’s presence is the ONLY true joy and contentment there is. If something is wrong inside of you – you know where to go.

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PART 15

THE BATTLE TO BE TRANSFORMED

It seems every political platform uses the same “WE NEED CHANGE” campaign slogan because even though it is as old as time – it is still the most effective. It is a very basic strategy to have people desire a fresh new start and as they say, if it works keep going with it. The Holy Spirit has the same idea when He encourages us to digest God’s word because He knows it will “change” everything about the way we are – into the way God wants us to be! Change, is one of the most popular words in our Christian vocabulary and the definition is to;” transmute, transform, to make a difference in the state or condition of a thing so that it is distinctly not the same as it was. The old identity is lost and a new identity is revealed.” Of course there are some very interesting things to consider when talking about change; just because something CHANGES – it does not always mean it is a good thing! Things can change for the better or things can change for the worse. For example; we can stuff ourselves with unhealthy food, lie around on the couch, absorb trash entertainment and become negatively “CHANGED” into a person that is completely LED by their flesh – or we can eat healthy, exercise, study and obey God’s WORD and be TRANSFORMED into a loving, giving person that is LED by God’s spirit! Spiritually conforming to HIS “will” is what our training on earth is all about. We daily cry out that we want to SEE our circumstances change, so we wait and wait on God to fix our problems… but could it be that He is waiting on us to receive the revelation of His Word – that will change US and release the miracles we need and desire? I believe so!

Another important issue is how there are TWO different AREAS that we all will deal with in our life that are directly related to change. Number one; there is man’s idea of feeling the need to CHANGE the OUTSIDE – (remember the slogan WE NEED CHANGE)? BUT – if you recall, the Pharisees were only clean on the outside – they had never been “changed” on the inside! They invested all their time with learning how to live religiously (experts in the law) but did not know God Himself. They had not allowed their heart to be transformed. They wanted to live their own “homemade” religious lifestyle their own way and were willing to fight to keep it that way. Is there any difference in the mindset of today’s followers of religion?” You senseless (foolish, stupid) ones (acting without reflection or intelligence)! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also? (Luke 11:40) “But woe to you, Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every (little) herb, but disregard and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done without leaving the others undone.” (Verse 42)

Number two: God’s idea is re-creating man from the INSIDE which will change his identification and eventually change his outward image! The Christian life is all about relationship with Jesus and is about walking with God in the Divine Reality of His presence and the absolute truth of His Word. But it is walking according to God’s destiny not our own opinions. Walking in His Spirit is surrendering our decisions and obeying His voice no matter how extreme or costly. Religion does what feels right and seems logical in our brain – Walking in God does whatever God says, whenever – period! When the saint and Christ become one, the image of God is manifested and the fruit of His character is seen, heard and experienced. Can you see the huge difference in the default system proclaiming “WE NEED CHANGE” and God’s holy requirements that constantly beckon us with – WE NEED TO CHANGE? “But The Lord said to him; Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside you yourselves are full of greed, robbery, extortion, malice, (spite, evil intent) and wickedness.” (Luke 11:39) “Woe to you, lawyers (experts in the Mosaic law)! For you have taken away the key to knowledge; you did not go in yourselves, and you hindered and prevented those who were entering”. (Verse 52)

It only takes an opinion to say WE NEED CHANGE! It takes a personal enlightenment to know WE NEED TO CHANGE! Since Lucifer was thrown out of heaven – to Adam and Eve being thrown out of the garden, it is the same problem – MAN CHANGES GOD’S WORD – TO KEEP GOD’S WORD FROM CHANGING HIM – – – Selah.

Allow me to say we were never called to change the way the world thinks because you and I cannot change anyone. If we could, we would go down to the bars and drug rehabs and empty them out, then go on to the government and bring our country back to God. But He built His divine system on grace through faith – He opens the door but we must make the decision to go in. The Holy Spirit convicts the heart of the individual by His Word and they are faced with the choice to arrogantly walk away or humbly submit to God Himself. If God uses us as the messenger then PRAISE His Holy Name! But if we are just running around in our flesh criticizing people without God’s divine appointments then we are causing more harm than good. There is only one person that can change another person and that is JESUS CHRIST! GOD is the changer! And he uses what “changed” people say (HIS WORD) and uses how “changed” people act (THE CHARACTER OF CHRIST) to open the floodgates of mercy through “conviction” and the POWER of His LOVE and MERCY to create an environment for the miracle of salvation.

You see, the reason why God is saying that WE NEED TO CHANGE is not ONLY for us, but because He also wants to change everybody that is in our NETWORK! When we change – then God can use us to help change others and that is what our witness and testimony is all about. Each Christian is to be a light in their network which is the responsibility of “walking the talk”. And when will we change from the inside out?

When we see our self the way God sees us and we become sick of the way we think and live, to the point we do something about it! God’s word is our mirror!
When we make that gut wrenching decision to DECREASE so that Christ can INCREASE – Descending is going higher!
When we begin to love people enough to actually pray for them – – Are we keeping a confession and prayer journal?
When we allow God to come with His refining fire and burn-up our carnality and make us holy – A living sacrifice!
When we receive the revelation of the power of words and begin to SPEAK God’s will – As we think – so are we!
When we can become determined to stand in faith no matter how long it takes – – Open the eyes of our heart –
When we realize that we might be the only LIGHT and the only JESUS someone may ever see – Burden for the lost –
When we allow God to CHANGE OUR MIND, it will CHANGE the way we act – This will put us into the POSITION to be used. How many know that an untrained boxer is not ready to fight a champion? An untrained pilot cannot fly a plane? An untrained surgeon cannot operate?

Father is asking all of us this moment – are you in position to be used as a good and faithful servant? If you are not ready, when will you be? God is hoping that we will let Him do a COMPLETE work in us! Why is He hoping? Because He knows it is up to you and me to choose to be “sold-out”. In the free-will that He has given to each of us, He realizes we are constantly making decisions to either follow the default or the Divine. The Almighty has already seen and written the destiny of the “world” and we not expected to change its predetermined course – He waiting for us to take up our cross and completely commit to Him. We know this satanic system will continue to grow more violent and evil until Christ comes back on the DAY OF THE LORD and His glory will melt everything that is not covered under His blood. Ungodly man believes his might and power is above the courts of heaven. He believes that his humanism is a force to be reckoned with and that he knows how to run his own world. He thinks that “HE” can change what needs to be changed – WITHOUT GOD! But we must remember we are ambassadors from another realm not representatives of this dimension. True, we function in this world everyday and there is a strong pull to become distracted from our spiritual mission and focus our attention on trying to “fix” this corrupt system but, we must snap out of our trance and remember that;

Philosophies of socialism or democracy will not save us!
Government dictatorship is not going to protect us!
Man’s attempt at controlled healthcare is not a replacement for the Great Physician – Jesus Christ!
Man’s secular psychology or his mind altering medicines cannot bring us a clear mind or true peace!
Man’s education teaches tolerance but refuses God’s spiritual wisdom and revelations of absolute truth.
And man’s legal system will never bring God’s justice, holiness or reverential fear – only confusion and chaos.

Is it depressing to think about the carnality of religion and the coming destruction of this world? It depends on how you consider it. If your intimacy is imbedded in this default system you will be sad because your soul has become a part of this generic realm. But if you know the revelation of God’s Divine Reality and have made the choice to live in it, then you are excited because you understand who you are in Christ! Soldiers: we are on a mission – not a vacation! “Do not love or cherish the world (the default system) or the things that are in the world (materialism, fleshly idolatry). If anyone loves the world (carnal devotion, allegiance), the love for the Father is not in Him”. (I John 2:15 AMP.) “Watch and pray”. (Mathew 26:41)

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PART 14

WHO IS AFRAID OF WHOM?

“Then some of the traveling Jewish exorcist (men who are involved and adjure evil spirits) also took it on themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, I solemnly implore and charge you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches! Seven sons of a certain Jewish chief priest named Sceva were doing this. But (one) evil spirit retorted (to make a witty reply and turn it around to the speaker), Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you? Then the man in whom the evil spirit dwelt leaped upon them, mastering (overcoming) two (both) of them, and was so violent against them that they dashed out of that house (in fear), stripped naked and wounded. This became known to all who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks, and alarm and terror fell upon them all; and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled and magnified”. (Acts 19:13-17 AMP.)
We clearly see why the demon makes the statement about how he knows who Jesus is because obviously the entire spiritual realm is well aware of God and His infinite authority. When a person is transformed into a new spirit and is filled with the Spirit of God, the dark kingdom also recognizes the power and anointing of God’s presence in them. The “I know” (γινώσκω) and the “I know about” (ὲπίσταμαι) reveals a purpose in using two different words to denote the demon’s recognition of the Divine Master and of the human agent, though it is not easy to convey the difference in a translation. It is the difference between an instinctive perception or recognition of a supreme power and the more intimate knowledge of a human agent. A divine mystery would invest Jesus, which the demon would feel, though he could not penetrate it. His knowledge of a man would be greater, in his own estimation at least. The difference may be given roughly, thus: “Jesus I recognize, and Paul I am acquainted with.” We also notice the demon Overcame them (κατακυριεύσας) “both of them” or mastered them (κύριος) which would imply that only two of the seven were involved in the exorcism. We understand how the enemy can overpower those who do not know God and who are not filled with His word but allow me to ask some personal questions here: Do you believe the kingdom of darkness knows who you are? Do you believe that you have authority over ALL the power of the enemy? Do you believe the devil is afraid of you and recognizes Jesus in you? Every frontline warrior should answer yes to these questions because we cannot live in abundant victory unless we know who we are and choose to abide in God’s presence!
There are many things connected with walking triumphant in God’s Divine Reality. One important factor to remember is that we have not been called to FIGHT demons all the time – we have been called to be FILLED with God! The closer we stay in God – the more victory we will have! This is a “spiritual” war not a 10 round boxing match! “For though we walk (live) in the flesh, we are not carrying on our warfare according to the flesh or using mere human weapons. For the weapons of our warfare are not physical (weapons of flesh and blood), but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds”. (II Corinthians 10:3,4 AMP.) NOW is the time to pray for wisdom, to build faith and cast out ALL doubt, because boldness and confidence in knowing and speaking God’s Word will ALWAYS change circumstances. We must take our prayer life to the next level with actually believing in what we are saying or it will just be religious noise. We cannot lay around in our carnality speaking to our mountains and expect to see signs, wonders and miracles. We cannot “afford” to speak negatively, tremble in fear and be half-dressed for battle because there is a “life and death” constant sacrifice and responsibility to live in God’s Divine Reality. We will never know Christ’s victory in it’s fullness until we stop reacting humanly to our circumstances. When you truly have authority over something you can stare it dead in the eye without worry, fear and anxiety and this is the confidence God’s remnant has in the face of war. Do we really trust God or do we think that sometimes He is busy doing other things and might forget about us? Why are we so quick to run to other solutions and answers? Do we believe that He allows us to be defeated sometimes for His own reasons? NO! God’s Word is true 100% of the time and will NEVER fail! Every thought, theory and philosophy that teaches against this – is from Satan!
It is not God’s will for the devil to walk on us! It is God’s perfect vision, destiny and demand that we walk on the devil because you and I represent GOD and HE is eternal perfection and infinitely victorious! Jesus sent out the twelve in (Mark 3:15), to preach and WALK in His Divine Reality just like He has sent us NOW into the “frontline”. “And to have AUTHORITY and POWER to heal the sick and to drive out demons”. The reason why the body of Christ hides behind their religious comforts is because they are not willing to surrender their allegiance to the default system and become completely committed to God’s triumphant lifestyle. We do not mind to sit around and listen to worship songs or hear an encouraging sermon, but how many that love to soak in His peace are really tearing down the strongholds of the enemy? “The seventy returned with joy saying, Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name! And He (Jesus) said to them, I saw Satan falling like a lightning (flash) from heaven. Behold! I HAVE GIVEN YOU authority and power to trample upon serpents and scorpions, and (physical and mental strength and ability) over ALL THE POWER THAT THE ENEMY (POSSESSES); and nothing shall in any way harm you”. (Luke 10:17-19 AMP.) How are you using this authority?

Attending a church service does not automatically make you a frontline warrior neither does it make the devil afraid of you. Wearing a “what would Jesus do” rubber band will not intimidate the demons unless you are allowing Jesus to live through you! True warriors are “sold out” for the cause! They know what they are fighting for and what they are fighting against. The problem with the body of Christ is that many who “profess” are not praying, fasting, confessing, studying, believing, demonstrating, or manifesting at all! Many believe this is the dirty job for “special” ministers – but this is God’s COMMAND to everyone who testifies that He is their Lord! “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, and cast out devils: freely you have received, freely give”. (Mathew 10:8)
When the “Christ in you” becomes so strong that your life is a constant “fruit producer” then God’s Divine Reality will be the word of your testimony! The blood of the Lamb has done the work and won the victory – it is now up to the follower of Christ to “walk it”! It is not our reputation or influence in this world that is important; it is the impact of Christ “IN US” that matters! In those early days He could not be present without it being known; and that is the thing that you and I need – THAT is the secret of the church’s power. It is the presence of Christ on the inside of you and me, and all of us together united in the “revelation reality” of His word! What we need is a mighty hope, a living hope; that is the risen Christ Himself! We need to go even beyond the resurrection to be able to say: It is Christ present NOW! Is the love and power of Christ being released in you today? Are you afraid of the devil or is he afraid of you???

V-MAIL TO THE FRONTLINE

PART 13

SEEDS IN A JAR WILL NOT GERMINATE

“Let the Word (spoken by) Christ (the Messiah) have it’s “home” (in your hearts and minds) and “dwell” in you in (all it’s) richness, as you teach and admonish and train one another in all insight and intelligence and wisdom (in spiritual things, and as you sing) psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, making melody to God with (His) grace in your hearts”. (Colossians 3:16 AMP.)

How many times have we as Christians heard this? Yet, it can be possible to hear something and shake our head up and down that we believe it is true – but not really listen or believe it can transform our life. Many keep biblical facts or “seeds” in a jar but have never experienced the reality of planting them. In the minds of people there are various amounts of knowledge about certain things but when something becomes a “revelation” the individual is filled with energy, passion and vision that changes them and touches all who come in contact with them. When we allow ourselves to be enlightened by God’s super-natural, living, Rhema Word we are never the same because we cannot deny that we have encountered absolute truth. Contrary to popular belief, everyone who goes to church is not a Christian and everyone who has read the Bible does not “know” God’s Word. God’s Word is more than ink and paper – it is a living, breathing source of life that germinates God’s Spirit and terminates our carnality but how fervent are we to “get it”?

The Bible is not for a coffee table decoration – it is filled with the seeds of wisdom that have the “potential” to become manifestations. For those that are willing to take these seeds out of their mind (jar) and allow them to be planted into the fertile ground of the heart, then Divine order can begin to move in the perfect flow of mans obedience and God’s will. This is where thoughts are transformed into life-changing revelations and religious attitudes are converted into sold-out spiritual warriors. God’s Word IS His will and when His Word becomes revelation to our heart then we will follow God’s voice and this generates the power that enables us to accomplish our destiny.

So how does God’s seed find its way from our mind into our heart so that spiritual growth can begin? I am so thrilled that you ask! We will change when we “see” that we have been deceived and then we must CHOOSE to make a radical decision to become “sold out” to Him! When an athlete makes the decision to win a gold medal – nothing can stop him because he is dedicated and completely focused on his goal. Only when we raise our spiritual experience up to God’s standard can we begin a “genuine” journey within the Divine Reality of His presence because we have willingly crawled upon His alter and surrendered our will to Him completely. “Then Jesus said to His disciples, if any man will come after me (desires to be my disciples), let him deny himself (disregard, lose sight of and forget himself and his own interest) and take up his cross and follow me (cleave steadfastly to me, conform wholly to my example in living and if need be, in dying also). For whoever is bent on saving his (temporal) life (his comfort and security here) shall lose it (eternal life); and whoever loses his life (his comfort and security here) for my sake shall find it (life everlasting).” Mathew 16: 24,25AMP.) There is no plan B with a true disciple.

We have heard about faith since we were old enough to crawl. Without faith we cannot pray and without revelation we cannot have faith. We cannot understand God’s absolute truth without “knowing” His Word and we cannot walk in His presence without following His voice. You see, when we were children we believed, hoped and expected Santa Clause to come on Christmas and bring us our toys. But if you think back and consider how that became so strong of an influence with us, we can see an interesting principal. It was something very special to us and very exciting. We dreamed about it, wrote letters, read books and magazines, saw all the lights and decorations all around us, watched the tv shows and movies, and every time we went to the store we were mesmerized with the displays. We talked about it constantly and became so saturated with these magical visions that it consumed our mind and conscious. (I do not agree with lying to children about this holiday but just using this as an example of how faith works.) Until we realize what being a Christian is we will never be one. Is Jesus exciting to you? Until we become completely “sold out” to investigating what the blood covenant of Jesus contains for us and the responsibility we have to live the gospel – we will remain in bondage to the default. It takes constant awareness and constant communion to develop a LIFESTYLE! The religious world in Jesus time had plenty of knowledge but did not know God personally. They went through all the motions of trying to look the part but all of their seeds were stored in jars (mental realm) between their ears. The veil was torn to illustrate how that now God would LIVE in His people and that His SEED could grow in their heart to produce the image of His character.

I talk about confessions and decrees all the time and I believe in the power of the tongue there is life and death. But, many pull away from this theological view because they just have never received the revelation of what it is. I do not speak out loud because I am trying to tell God what to do or demand MY ideas to come to pass. I am not trying to create a formula or a magical spell to give me what I want. I am speaking out loud to remind my brain that I am going to be transformed whether it likes it or not! I am strengthening and encouraging my spirit to believe in what I am saying while at the same time I am commanding my body to surrender its crying, whining, begging and fleshly negative influences that is fighting to hinder me from obeying God. Confession is CONFIRMING what you believe and where you stand. It is not trying to force God to fulfill your carnality – it is trying to line up with HIS will! It takes a long time to understand His Word to the point you can stand on it. It will take reading passages over and over, memorizing, meditating, researching and confessing it over your mind and body EVERYDAY! It may takes years to get the revelation of His Word and it may take more years to peel back the layers of His truth to see even deeper insights and enjoy fresh manna. You will not advance into His Kingdom if you do not “press-in” to His Word! You will not enjoy the blessings of His Divine Reality if you do not enjoy spending every minute of every day in His presence. This is why it is so crucially important to get the revelation NOW before something happens in your life that can overwhelm you. Many live in the default system and when a crisis occurs and the storm clouds rise up, they are clueless about how to deal with it. They have planted no seed which leaves them with no faith. This weak and helpless condition makes them vulnerable to suffer loss or be destroyed. I have personally seen people who have not dedicated their life to living in the Divine Reality have a sudden crisis where they are facing a very bad situation. Saints begin to pray and encourage by trying to “cram” God’s word into them. But most people that are ambushed with a life or death situation are in shock and while they are trying to grasp the revelation that can manifest God’s miracle, the enemy is attacking with fear and doubt. The devil will take advantage of ignorance if God’s Word has not been planted and producing the fruit of faith. Even the cries for help to God will not always move Him to act because He is moved by faith. When the seed is in the jar – there is no harvest.

Would you like to be possessed by God? Well, brother Billy you know I am filled with the Spirit. You are not filled with the Spirit just because you went down front once and someone touched you on the forehead. And for that matter, just because you went down during an alter call somewhere does not mean you are saved either. Being born again is not buying fire insurance but becoming a new creation from the inside out. The evidence of being saved is having Jesus as the Lord of your life. Everyone wants a Savior but few have given him control! The evidence of being filled with His Spirit is walking in the fruit of His Spirit. The church is the body of Christ, the true believers that are members of God’s remnant. The church meetings are pep rally’s to give God glory and a “supply house” so the body can stay refreshed with God’s presence and receive more of His revelations. Religion is “play acting” and religious people are the tares that sit on the same pews and sing the same songs but have never allowed Jesus to be their Lord. The lukewarm are those who have tasted the Divine Reality but still hold on to the default system and are in a very dangerous spiritual condition. Those who are truly saved have already experienced a resurrection! Their old nature has died and they are filled with God and their old spirit is transformed into a NEW creation. Those who are saved do not live in their own desires, make their own decisions or follow their own directions. If the evidence is not there – then maybe salvation did not happen. How many people operate on a religious mentality without genuine redemption? How many on judgment day will be stunned to discover they built their life on deeds and opinions instead of knowing God personally? Those who are possessed are 100% CONTROLLED by the one who possesses them!

The amount and type of “return” will depend on how much and where you have invested! Selah. How much victory do you want? Do you want to be filled with Him or have your carnal comfort zones caressed? Pastor Chris said the other night that God is not telling us to TRY harder – He is telling us to DIE harder! Only the seeds that are planted in the fertile soil of a pure heart will take root, germinate, grow and yield God’s fruit. Only those who are “sold out” ( the overcomers) will desire deeper intimacy and press toward the high calling of Christ.

V-MAIL TO THE FRONTLINE

PART 12

KICKING OVER THE SACRED COWS

“Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God. Even the MYSTERY which has been HID from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to His saints: To whom God would make known what is the RICHES OF HIS GLORY OF THIS MYSTERY of the Gentiles; which is CHRIST IN YOU THE HOPE OF GLORY. Whom we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus”. (Colossians 1:25-28)

As I write tonight, I cannot deny a reverential fear of who The Father is – as holy, perfect and unchangeable. This perfection means that His word unmovable and non-compromising. The Lord has reminded me all week about how much concentration is needed to comprehend the realities of His word. The revelation of Jesus and how He desires for us to comprehend what He died for us to be is not a game or a fair-weather experience. It is a twenty four hour a day lifestyle! There is so much commitment involved with walking in God’s presence that no one has the time to waste with the distractions of this world. We are not going to fully grasp His revelations by just reading a verse every now and then or occasionally thanking Him for His blessings! The reason why it say’s in First Thessalonians 5:17, to ”Pray without ceasing” is because God knows that if we pray, meditate, worship and study like we are supposed to it will take every minute of our day and night! Living in God’s presence is not spending five minutes a day with Him and the rest for ourselves! It is a constant awareness! Revelation is enlightenment and this only comes with SATURATION and ABSORPTION. This in turn can only come with aggressive PERSISTENCE and DETERMINATION. But without a burning a desire to go deeper with God and walk with Him intimately – we will not even get off the couch. Nails are usually not driven in with one blow of the hammer as we need to go over and over His word until we know (that we know) what He is talking about. (We need to know what we believe and why!) We could read the same chapter everyday of our life and see something new each time. The Lord wants us to meditate on His word and pray for DIVINE understanding so His truth can PENETRATE our conscious and become a part of who we are! This is the only way we can become His living word – because we are what we believe! This life is not about getting more comfortable – it is about crying out to God for Him to open the eyes of our heart! And the more we see – the more we understand how much there is to do. I look all around and see so many that do not allow themselves to even think about yielding their life to Christ. I realize there are levels of spiritual development and we know that God understands the process of growth as well as some that are genuinely thirsty to learn all there is to know and Praise the Lord for them. But there are many who are lost, that close their eyes and ears on purpose because they are trying avoid the responsibility of facing God. Then of course there are the play-actors that are proud of their “white washed” religious exterior but are empty bones on the inside. What is our mission? To live in the Divine Reality of God every moment!

Some might ask, “Why is it so important to learn about God’s Spirit realm”? Because we will live out what we believe, and the way we live has a direct impact on the lost. The reason why Christians are not being used by the Holy Spirit to convict the lost is because they are not walking in the Divine Realities of God’s presence. If we live what we know – they will come to us and want to know how to live! If we are lukewarm the world will despise our religious attitude and will realize that we are just talk. We do not want to have a guilty conscious by considering how we are living (not enough love, not aware of divine appointments) could cause souls in our network to perish for all eternity. What ever happened to having a burden for lost souls? (Luke 11: 33) “No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or crypt or under a bushel measure, but on a lampstand, that those who are coming in may see the light”. (Verse 36) “If then your entire body is illuminated, having no part dark, it will be wholly bright with light, as when a lamp with its bright rays gives you light”. “But he who did not know and did things worthy of a beating shall be beaten with few lashes. For everyone to whom much is given, of him shall much be required; and of him to whom men entrust much, they will require and demand all the more”. (Luke 12:48)

We have been talking quite a bit about the default system lately and unfortunately many may still not recognize what it is. Some in the church may feel that evil, cold-hearted, bad people are on the one side (and, true they are) and the “church going” people are on the other side, but it is not necessarily like that. It is a fact there are only two kingdoms – one true, the other false, and everyone is a part of one or the other (sheep and goats, wheat or tares). But the problem with the “good old boy” philosophy that believes everything will be alright is that it came from the default system and is one of the most destructive forces on earth. Those who are serious about God have noticed the closer they come to Him the more they “see” like Him. The intensity of His presence brings peace, wisdom, power, spiritual discernment along with a sobering urgency and awareness. The farther away a person is from God the more relaxed they feel in an “emotional kind of way”. We said that a “default” is an automatic back-up when we do not choose the Divine. Salvation is the opportunity of grace to receive Christ by faith to be LORD. Those who refuse to yield their will to Jesus and allow Him to “possess” them will definitely receive the default because there is not a third option. The true reality of the gospel is that everything that falls short of total commitment to Jesus is considered default. This group of people includes the successful couples who live in beautiful houses, drive nice clean cars and who manicure their yard every Saturday. The dignified, the educated, our co-workers, our bosses and the highly respected all the way to the little old lady down the street who feeds the neighborhood stray cats. They are parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts, siblings, church members, hard workers, the proverbial decent people who would give anyone the shirt off their back and even our offspring. They are all around us and they all watch us. They wait to see truth but are not sure what it is. The Holy Spirit will convict them when truth is revealed in us. Selah.

The person who never misses a church service but who habitually sins constantly – represents the kingdom of darkness. And those who rub the rosary beads and pray to Mary will be very disappointed along with those who pull out their prayer rug four times a day and pray toward Mecca. Brother Bill that is a terrible thing to say because we need to be tolerant of all religions and respect their beliefs. Did God speak to your heart and tell you to say that or is that a doctrine of the default? I am not ashamed to proclaim the truth that there is only one absolute truth and one way to heaven. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit is the only true God of heaven and earth and all other religions are idols and lies. “What profits the graven image that the maker thereof has graven it? The molten image and a teacher of LIES, which the maker of his work trust therein, to make DUMB idols. Woe unto him that speaks to the wood, Awake! To the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it”. (Habakkuk 2:18-19) ALL RELIGION is false worship if Jesus is not LORD of the heart. The Divine Reality is all about knowing Jesus and understanding His word and if that is not the center focus and top priority in life, then all that’s left is the default.

When I refer to a person who is religious, I define them as someone who does not have (and possibly have never had) a consistent, intimate, personal relationship with Jesus Christ – but who thinks they have. This spirit is attracted to being involved with church and biblically connected works as a means to appear spiritual to everyone that is looking. All that are “under the influence” of this spirit are convinced they are exempt from the default system yet little do they know they are actually a part of it. It is obvious to the true Christian that the secular world is built on the foundation of humanism but the ones caught up in the traditions, rituals and ceremonies of playing church are blind to the fact they are also included. Satan and his demons have played on the emotions of humans since they were created and has easily manipulated their pride into exactly what he hoped it would be; powerless, arrogant, self-righteous organizations that divide, deceive, and misrepresent God’s absolute truth. Religion is the enemy of God’s remnant and the sickening stench that has poisoned the world. Religion is an imposter of the true holiness, sanctification and obedience of a true disciple of Christ. It desires to control the people and hold them in bondage to its list of man-made laws. The hidden agenda behind religion is to distract the masses with an outward performance, hoping to hide the Divine Realities of who we are called to be. Jesus Himself confronted the established religious world as He tried to minister His Father’s true Gospel and immediately was met with strong resistance. The blood that has been shed over religious doctrine reveals the hatred that lies just beneath the surface of what is supposed to be built on love. This deceiving spirit is the offspring of the father of lies and is responsible for much of the doubt, discouragement, pain and hopelessness in the world. (Colossians 2:8) “Beware lest any man spoil (deceive, steal) you through philosophy and vain deceit (the default system), after the traditions of men, after the rudiments (principals, laws) of this world, and not after Christ”. (Verse 18) A disciple is a representative of the words of their teacher. Are you a disciple of Jesus or the world’s politically correct system? Disciples walk and live the words of their master because they believe them and trust them. Are we embarrassed to stand for God even if the world comes against us? We must not water down God’s word until it has no effect. We cannot compromise the sharpness of God’s two edged sword just to prevent offence. Seeker sensitive means the church does not want to present the piercing truth of God’s word that can stir and convict the heart to repentance. The devil created the seeker sensitive idea because he wanted to keep God’s church in a lifeless coma! I Corinthians 2:4, “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in DEMONSTRATION of the Spirit and of power”. (Verse 2) “For I determined not to know anything among you, except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. (Verse 7) But we speak the wisdom (truth) of God in a mystery (hidden form), even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained (designed) before the world unto our glory (benefit)”. The enemy loves to see the body of Christ gather for a church service and talk about how beat down they are. A negative sermon and all the negative decrees confirm and establish they are defeated and that Satan is completely victorious over the church. The true remnant is learning how to WALK in God and will be the reflection of their Father. The MANIFESTATION of God’s word in their heart and life IS THE DEMONSTRATION of God’s glory!

It is time to kick over the sacred cows! It is time to turn over the tables of the money changers. It is time to take our personal relationship with Jesus Christ to the highest level! Are we ashamed of what we believe? Does our reputation really mean that much to us? Or do we think we can just go about our own business and not get involved or be concerned with the way others live and believe? Think about all the things God is and all the things God is not and IDENTIFY yourself with those things. “Herein is our love made perfect that we may have BOLDNESS in the Day of Judgment: because AS HE IS, SO ARE WE IN THIS WORLD.” (I John 4:17) We believe we are ONE with Him and that is why we constantly PRAY and CONFESS VICTORY! We LIVE in VICTORY “ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN” because God is ALWAYS VICTORIOUS! “Let this mind (the wisdom and understanding of God’s divine reality) be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5) If we really believe the atmosphere of being in His presence is the most precious place to be – then why would we ever want to come out of it?