This was unheard of before today. Wednesday night my wife was moved in her office chair by a 4.8 earthquake in the cluster below… about 100 miles away.
Oklahoma was given the title “Heartland” in 1995 after the bombing. The heart of America is being shaken.
Only you and FATHER knows where your faith lies before it is tested. I believe 2016 will reveal what level of faith resides in each of us before the year has ended. Where or whom do you place your trust in, FATHER or the world and its leaders with its current systems?
There was one disciple named Thomas who depicts the world’s perspective of “seeing is believing”. Little is specifically mentioned of Thomas in the Gospels until we get to the Gospel of John chapter 14. Jesus spoke:
1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.”
Jesus spoke these words after revealing Judas as being the betrayer and He was preparing the disciples for the changes about to take place. Jesus had performed many miracles and had spent three years teaching and training the disciples for their coming ministry yet Thomas spoke:
5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Thomas was having trouble walking in faith and his spiritual eyes could not see what Jesus was showing them. He needed to see to believe but he could only see in the natural. If he fully trusted the Words of Jesus he would have been at peace about The Way. Where or in whom you place your trust determines your level of faith in FATHER. Who has your best interest at heart? Man or FATHER? Making that transition from men and their ways to FATHER and HIS Way is difficult for many as it was clearly the case for Thomas.
In John chapter 20:
24 Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.
25 The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”
So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”
Thomas was double-minded and relied on his reasoning to determine where is faith was. It is only appropriate that the name Thomas means “twin”. He had “two minds” and was unstable in his ways. When Jesus showed up after the resurrection Thomas was not with the rest of the disciples. Earlier he had been the one who could not see the reality of what Jesus was saying in chapter 14. This is a sure indication that he had little or no faith. Thomas would have to wait another 8 days to see Jesus:
26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!”
27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.”
Jesus had to prove to Thomas that what He spoke to them was true because Thomas walked in fear, uncertainty, and doubt. Thomas would not place his trust in what he could not see in the physical. What about you? Are you impaired by your inability to see the Spiritual? Do you place your trust in your five physical senses rather than FATHER and HIS Word? Jesus spoke:
28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Blessed, happy, and well off are those who walk in faith. Very blessed, very happy, and very well off are those in walk in great faith. Now is the time to assess your level of faith and do something about it. Let the Word come alive in you so that you trust in HIS Word rather than men and their systems. Many of those systems may soon disappear. Open your Spiritual eyes or you will fall into a ditch.
The time for preparation precedes the time of action and implementation. One door shuts for the next door to open. I believe this year to be unlike any year I have experienced in the past to the point when we look back at this year it will stand out as the manifested turning point of the Kingdom.
Back in the late 1990’s I had a dream where another man and myself were digging a large hole and came upon a hidden room that had been covered up for an extremely long time. As we dug, the front of this room was uncovered and the door had unknown writing and a symbol above it. We knew the contents were important as we entered in. I also knew that the dimensions of the room were 6x6x6 equaling 216 cubic feet. As Bonnie Gaunt would remark, zeroes were not considered and were to be removed when contemplating a value. Therefore I knew 2016 (representing 216) was the year of this mystery. As you can imagine I was not excited about the wait.
There is a nucleus of men who are “all in” and forming a Kingdom Business now. This began with the trip to Charlotte back on August 30th and now the action phase is at hand. Are we ready to be about FATHER’S Business? I trust we are. In preparation, FATHER has had me complete a ten year focus and study on HIS Divine Intent of Love. Yes, I guess I may be a little slow but HE needed to fully cleanse and purify my heart. Could it be that the 10 years (1990-2000) of early morning prayer were also part of the same preparation. I expect so. Are others being commissioned elsewhere and in the same manner? I have no idea. I only know my mandate.
Many have not understood FATHER’S Business but Jesus did at a young age:
Luke 2:49 And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”
50 But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them.
Once He heard and declared to be about FATHER’S Business, His authentication came forth:
52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with GOD and men.
I expect good fruit to come forth as we embark in doing our part to establish HIS Kingdom with a purity of purpose. It’s not about me or the other men. It’s all about glorifying FATHER in all that we say and do with a boldness unlike anything we have experienced in the past.
Those who support this ministry have in effect planted seed and have helped us get to this point. Some of us are called to be on the front line and others are called to support. Each has his or her designated task in establishing the Kingdom. Some are called to intercede and simply say Amen! to what FATHER is revealing and doing in this hour. I will soon head out on this mission of Love and may have limited ability to write on a daily basis until Friday.
Ponder this and let it become real both inside and out. Jesus said in Mathew 5:
16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Let us glorify FATHER as we fully align ourselves with HIM!
In Mark chapter 1:
21 Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.
22 And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
23 Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out,
24 saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”
25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!”
26 And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.
27 Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.”
28 And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.
Where or how did Jesus get His authority? He received it from FATHER who was well pleased with Him. If we are to operate in the same power and authority we must align ourselves fully and completely with FATHER and HIM alone. If you encounter others who do the same then you will also walk in full agreement with them and you will truly be in unity. It is one thing to agree with someone but another to walk in agreement.
As we align ourselves with FATHER HE will open the door to new opportunities and bring forth others with the same intent. As this happens you will find yourself walking in greater authority and power. You will begin to detect when you are speaking HIS Words rather than your own. You will begin to sense with great expectation an encounter about to happen. You will boldly speak about FATHER to any stranger for you are no longer attempting to be “politically correct”.
There are those who teach and then there are those to teach with authority. It was clear that the scribes had no authority. A scribe was a teacher of the Mosaic Law adding his own commentary and interpretation. In John chapter 14 Jesus simply spoke the Words with authority directed by FATHER:
7 “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.”
8 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.”
9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority;but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.
11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.”
Jesus again spoke of authority in John chapter 16 and revealed the plan of the Holy Spirit in our lives to guide us into all Truth. With the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, we should expect to hear the Words of FATHER specifically to us. This Truth must overshadow your past teaching by man that you must rely on some minister to hear from FATHER. This Truth spoken by Jesus must come alive in your consciousness to the point where it is producing fruit. When will this occur? Each of us has a unique history to be dealt with. We must unlearn that which was spoken to us in derivative authority by men and women we esteemed in the past. We must not let their incomplete understanding prevent us from receiving FATHER’S Word specifically for us. Jesus unequivocally and emphatically stated the following Truth:
12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.
15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.
It is time for each of us to embrace the reality of our direct relationship with FATHER instead of a distant GOD. When we do we will begin walking, speaking, and operating in HIS authority with power.
What motivates me? The better question is: Who motivates me? The answer is: Christ in me.
The blogs are attended to reveal, guide, and hopefully lead you to the narrow path of Love in all areas of your life. If you are simply looking for more knowledge then these writings will not satisfy your appetite. The world wants you to believe that complexity leads us to better solutions but I believe virtually the opposite. Complexity simply enslaves you and redirects your focus to the less important.
Are you motivated by Christ in you or fear? There have been times when I was motivated by fear and made decisions according to that motivation. The results of those decisions did not improve or benefit my life. FATHER’S grace and mercy are greater than any past decision made with the wrong motivation.
I can’t make you change, see, or hear. Each of us must make the decision to change our path even though some would have us believe we have no choice. FATHER did not make a bunch of robots but rejoices when we finally turn to HIM after realizing the ramifications of living without Christ in our lives. We must forgive those in error just as FATHER has forgiven us if we want to be fully aligned with HIM. Paul writes in Galatians chapter 6:
1 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.
2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
If we knew the impact of our decisions and words upon others would we change? Love does. We must understand that others have their own unique set of circumstances to overcome and we need to focus on being part of the solution to their problem rather than pushing them further into the abyss. Forgiveness will help lift away the burden the other person is dealing with and opens the door to resolving the issue.
3 For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
From time to time I encounter former senior executives of the bank I worked at in the 1970’s. They are now simply getting by and living in retirement for their “glory days” have passed. They were once in a position to make decisions over a thousand employees but now their greatest decision is what to have for lunch. Some of them like to project their past position in order to gain respect in their current state but the fact is they are deceiving themselves.
Our greatest days are ahead of us. Why? Because of Christ in us. Paul wrote in Galatians chapter 2:
20 “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
Expect Christ to rise up in you in a greater manner than ever before and you will say time and time again, “I didn’t see that coming!” in a good way for you will pleasantly be surprised.
Zechariah 4:8 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying:
9 “The hands of Zerubbabel
Have laid the foundation of this temple;
His hands shall also finish it.
Then you will know
That the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you.
10 For who has despised the day of small things?
For these seven rejoice to see
The plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.
They are the eyes of the LORD,
Which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth.”
11 Then I answered and said to him, “What are these two olive trees—at the right of the lampstand and at its left?” 12 And I further answered and said to him, “What are these two olive branches that drip into the receptacles of the two gold pipes from which the golden oil drains?”
13 Then he answered me and said, “Do you not know what these are?”
And I said, “No, my lord.”
14 So he said, “These are the two anointed ones, who stand beside the Lord of the whole earth.”
The time has arrived for us to be about FATHER’S Business in establishing the Kingdom. I expect this year to bring forth manifestation of what has been seen and pondered in the past. This will be a year of action and change so we must align ourselves and stay in constant communication with FATHER. Whatever HE says to do, just do it!
Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Amen.
Happy New Year!
As we enter 2016 I believe FATHER is authenticating those whom HE has activated with a purity of purpose unlike what we have seen in the past. Some are sensing it stronger than others but nevertheless it is rising up.
In the Book of Acts, Stephen had such a change occur in him. In those days the number of disciples was multiplying and the twelve disciples needed help. In Acts chapter 6:
3 Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.
Seven “businessmen” were selected who were fully equipped for the job. Stephen was one of these men. Jesus Himself said that He must be about FATHER’S business so we must not limit ourselves by thinking we are not needed because we have not been “in the ministry” speaking publicly, writing blogs and books, etc. Each of us is integral to what FATHER is doing.
In August of 1987 FATHER gave me a vision that a group of Christian businessmen would fund the end-time Gospel. I have yet to see the full manifestation of that vision but I now believe it is at hand. The purity of purpose is beginning to manifest and men are no longer directing their efforts to satisfy “self” but are looking to fulfill FATHER’S Purpose for their lives. Stephen was no different.
5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch,
6 whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them.
7 Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.
Each of us has our place in the big picture and we only need to discover our particular place in it. If you don’t know your part but are asking the question you have made the first step in having it revealed to you. Press in. Stephen responded to being selected and then he ended up ministering to the leaders of the day even though they were not excited about his message to them. After being selected and anointed to FATHER’S business we see the fruit come forth:
8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.
Stephen rose up from obscurity to be described in a manner similar to Jesus and produced the “greater” things Jesus spoke of when He told His disciples:
John 14:12 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.”
This should encourage each of us to embrace FATHER’S plan for us as well. It matters not that our past has been obscure and without much indication that we were empowered to do anything for the Kingdom. One day Stephen was just another person in the crowd AND SUDDENLY. Do not despise small beginnings.
Zechariah 4:“For who has despised the day of small things? But these seven will be glad when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel—these are the eyes of the LORD which range to and fro throughout the earth.”
Last but not least the church leaders encountered Stephen:
15 And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel.
Think about it and let Stephen’s example change your frame of mind if needed!
A steward is a person who manages another’s property or financial affairs; one who administers anything as the agent of another or others. Each of us is called to be a good steward and Jesus spoke about stewardship in two separate parables: the parable of the talents and the parable of the minas. Though these parables are similar, they are not the same.
The parable of the talents:
Matthew 25:14 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.
15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.
16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.
17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.
18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money.
19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.”
This parable focuses on being a good steward of your gifts and calling. Each of us has a unique set of gifts and we are called to be productive in the area of these gifts. If we aren’t then judgment will come:
29 ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.
30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Doing nothing is unacceptable as a steward. There is a time to wait on THE LORD but it does not span your entire life. You must ask the question “What am I drawn to?” and develop yourself in that area. You are not expected to flourish in someone else’s calling and neither should you attempt to do so. FATHER will see to it that you gain experience and maturity in the area of your calling but you will produce little or no fruit in attempting to walk in another’s calling. Be at peace with your own calling.
The parable of the minas has a different message and it is found in Luke 19:
11 Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately.
12 Therefore He said: “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.
13 So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business till I come.’
In this parable there were ten servants rather than three and each of them were given the same amount to manage. In this case they all started with the exact same amount which represents the one resource we all have… time. In this case the issue is about being a good steward of time and those who waste away the day will suffer judgment as a poor steward. What happened to the poor steward who did not know the Divine Intent of his MASTER?
24 “And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.’
25 (But they said to him, ‘Master, he has ten minas.’)
26 ‘For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.
27 But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.’ ”
The unproductive servant will be judged and removed from the scene. The productive servants will be given rewards commensurate with their productiveness. Have you wondered why you don’t seem to get anywhere or receive anything new and refreshing? You may want to consider the stewardship issue whether it be in the area of your gifts and calling or time management. FATHER is clearly interested in both.
In Galatians chapter 5 Paul wrote:
5 For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.
Do you want your faith energized? How would you like to improve the flow of SPIRIT in your daily walk? Love is the energizing effect. It is the catalyst that sustains us as we walk out faith in patience. “Faith working through Love” is such a simple phrase but contained therein is a power greater than any other on earth yet it remains hidden to those without eyes to see.
The term “working through” means:
to be operative, be at work, put forth power
to work for one, aid one
to effect
to display one’s activity, show one’s self operative
In the Epistle of James chapter 5, we see this energizing effect at work:
15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.
18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
How effective are your prayers? We all must assess our fruit and make whatever adjustment necessary so that we produce good fruit rather than no fruit at all. As we continue our walk in Love there will come a day when we become fully energized by Love and our faith will move mountains. Instead of mentally agreeing with Jesus when He spoke the following in Mark chapter 11:
22 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God.
23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.
24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”
You will know fully and completely your words will be backed by the power of FATHER. I say to you today, PRESS IN! Love is the path to energizing faith, not more knowledge, not more skill, nothing else can plug you into the flow from Heaven!
Months ago I spoke a word that I heard about activation and authentication. The time of authentication is at hand and the train is leaving the station. Don’t just sit on the bench and wave goodbye. You are being given the opportunity to have your faith activated by Love. Pursue it like never before. Look and listen for ways to activate your Love walk!
On Saturday the day after Christmas my wife once again heard the three knocks but this time she heard them two different times, the first one being faint while we were eating lunch and the second one while I was back in the home office. These continue to point to THE DOOR set before all of us.
In October of 1971 I met her at a Christian coffee house called the Open Door and this happens to be where our relationship began and flourished. Our first date was 44 years ago this month. The seed of the Word was fully planted in me at the Open Door and FATHER knew the increase to expect from this time forward. Now we have been given the second and third witness to the knocking. Let us now focus on the open door which culminates in the Revelation of Jesus Christ:
Revelation 1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John,
2 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw.
3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.
Who was the book directed towards? HIS servants, not the world! If a book is specifically written to me by someone who knows my understanding and background, a stranger will not be able to fully understand its contents or intent. This has not stopped prophecy teachers from interpreting the book to scare the public into submission. I would submit that if a final book were to be authored by a disciple to confront the heathen, Paul or Peter would have been a better choice than the Beloved Disciple. Both of them were “wired” for confrontation and had fruit in that area. Instead the Beloved Disciple whose epistles were focused on maturing in Love was to convey this prophecy to HIS servants.
Revelation 3:7 …‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”:
8 “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.”
Since August 31st, we have had multiple signs confirming that the time of visitation is at hand. In addition, we have had the Word that the time of contemplation has ended and the time of being on the move is here. The door is being opened for people to walk through and the door will be shut when those who are chosen have passed its portal. Little did I know that the knocking would come soon after FATHER had me write about the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
I cannot make anyone respond to these words for only HIS SPIRIT will draw men through that door. I can only encourage you to focus ON HIM. It has been 44 years and 4 months since I first walked though the entrance to the Open Door. Clearly FATHER has not been in a hurry from our perspective but it is more important to view things from HIS perspective. 2016 will prove to be a very eye opening year for the multitudes. How long will the door be open? Only FATHER knows but HE is certainly keeping our attention focused on it at this time. The Key of David points to a government motivated by Love. Perfect and mature Love is the only solution to the problems at hand. I urge you to bring the Open Door into focus and set aside any diversion that would prevent you from entering in.