Tag Archives: christianity

Church Assessments, 12/28/24

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Crossroads Community Church of God

God doesn’t need any person’s permission to be God. I hope you heard that loud and clear. Read it again. God DOES NOT need your permission to be God. Certainly, you’re not the one that God wakes up at 3:00 am to discuss these church assessments with so you might not understand how important they are to God. But I do. God chose me as His prophet. God anoints me as His prophet. God constantly humbles me as His prophet. God holds me in place and refuses to let me choose anything other than His will. There are promised wrath constantly held over me if I refuse Him. Maybe that’s not the God that you know, but you also don’t know God very well. I hear His voice every day. I must seek Him for every decision. The life of a prophet is very confined and isolated. But hey, if you think you want this role, please tell God that you give Him permission to use you to deliver this message. But until then, this is where He chooses to deliver His messages about the churches. Jonah spent three days in the belly of a whale and put the entire ship of people in danger because he refused God’s request to deliver a message. I don’t want that.

All of that is said to remind the readers that none of this is meant to harm a specific pastor. I’ve already clearly stated that the pastor at Crossroads Community Church has a heart for God. There are other pastors in the assessments ahead that will hear a strong word of rebuke from God. I will not refuse God’s message. You can shoot the messenger all you want but God has no problem removing pastors from pulpits without notice or consent. Recently, there was a local pastor who God had me deliver messages to for two years. I sent mailed letters. I sent emails. I sent private messages on Facebook. I created and printed newsletters and doctrinal magazines and sent them to the pastor all at my own expense. All of the messages were to alert the pastor to false doctrines in the church. I invested a lot of time and energy. When God had enough of it, though, the pastor was quickly removed from the pulpit and replaced. God is not messing around with this. Please people get on board with this move of God. I’m not ever at any time asking you to believe me solely. I’m asking you to seek God on these subjects. Quit being lazy and non-committal and get in the game. Choose God! Seek God! Want God’s will! That’s all that I’m asking of you. Get your head out of your android and seek God!

Oh, and by the way, God is watching every word that is posted on social media. He sees if you imply that He needs your permission to use me in this way. You will just bring His wrath on you if you try to dissuade me from bringing His message. But I already know that some of you are more stupid than useful. Sorry, that’s just the facts. Don’t provoke God. It’s easier for me to deliver a tame message from Him than to feel the full weight of His displeasure and wrath in the words. God knows that I don’t like to watch when He disciplines you. I never could stand to see my siblings get the belt growing up. Still don’t like it!

Monday’s post will be about Women’s Ministry and doctrines surrounding women in leadership roles. Please be ready to study something more important than video games and celebrity gossip.

Church Assessments

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And so it begins …

The Lord is wasting no time in getting right to it. God has been waking me up in the early morning hours for many days recently to discuss reviewing the churches locally. I had thought that He would wait until the new year to begin the process of communicating this information. But it seems that today is the day to embark on this journey with you.

In the early chapters of the book of Revelation, we can read the seven letters to the churches penned by John. Those words were from Jesus, even using first person language as “Here I am, I stand at the door and knock …”. As a prophet of God, who has been hearing His voice in prayer for over 20 years, I am tasked with bringing a similar message from the Lord to the churches. (Please believe me, I can come up with 1,000 different things to do with my time rather than provoke the churches against me. I’m well aware of how the prophets were persecuted in Biblical times.)

These assessments of the churches will include reviewing their strengths and weaknesses to help them grow. The primary critique though must be in solving doctrinal issues. I’m inviting all of you to join in on helping the churches in their needs AND in asking God how you can step out of your comfort zone to be used by Him. Many churches are dying and need to be revived. Some of the smaller churches that I visited have just a handful of older people hanging on and doing their best to help. I can understand why this is important to God.

So, while we will look at doctrinal problem areas in each of the churches, we will also look at their men/women’s, children/youth, and music/worship ministries. We will also assess their facilities and outreach strengths and weaknesses. Several local churches are in need of roof repairs as a result of hurricane damages this year. They are struggling to have the money to make those repairs. Drawing attention to it is an opportunity for some readers to help in discreet ways.

Several churches are looking for worship leaders and youth ministers. All of us are a little too invested in our smart phones and not enough invested in building up the body of Christ. Maybe that is something that can change for us in the new year. Please talk with God about it.

The first church that we will be looking at in the local community is Crossroads Community, Church of God, on Knox McRae Road. I have visited the church on several occasions, watched online sermons, reviewed their website and Facebook pages, and discussed with God what He wants brought forward for review. None of this is about criticizing anyone. It is for the purpose of making things better. To do that we must look at ways to build up and ways to tear down. If you’re going to be actively involved in improving the churches, then you must seek God and listen to His voice in prayer.

Restored Covenant?

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Without fail, as part of my bedtime routine and early morning wakeup conversations with God, I ask Him a series of questions to gauge my position under His authority. One question is “Lord, is there anything that I need to ask forgiveness for?” His response is “You have done my will exactly.”

You might think that being exactly in His will would warrant great reward and no difficulties. The consistent rewards are: 1) I continue to hear God’s voice; 2) He makes His presence known; and 3) He chooses to protect me and my children from the devil’s activities against us.

My obedience, however, does not equate to an easy life. Most of the time, it feels like I am in a perpetual spiritual bootcamp being constantly trained, pushed to the limits of my capabilities, and purposely weakened and humbled. That probably doesn’t sound like favor, but it is growth. That growth is required for God to continue to trust me with the anointing of hearing His voice and the supernatural anointings of the manifestation of the Spirit of God. So don’t look at me or my physical surroundings to gauge my walk with God, and I will not judge your hard situations as punishment from God either. Although, if I hear God say that you’re being punished, well then, I’m not going to argue with Him or assist you outside of His will.

Prayer is the vehicle for conversation with God. Thankfully, we can silently pray anywhere at any time. We don’t need permission from anyone to seek God. However, to hear God speak to you in prayer, you need to be in unbroken covenant with Him. Covenant relationship simply means that you have chosen Him as your only God and choose to obey Him. Restoration of a broken covenant requires the forgiveness conversation discussed in paragraph 1 above. Again, hearing His voice doesn’t guarantee an easy life but it does position you to be exactly in His will when you obey His direction. There is one thing that I’m sure of … I would be completely lost without Him. Are you?

VENOM OR FERVOR

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Most of us would have no problem working up a venomous hatred for a person who intentionally harms children. We would feel justified to see the rapist condemned to maximum criminal prosecution. A convicted pedophile deserves to lose their genitals at the very least. I say all that as a reminder that we can work up a real hatred, and should, for evil. None of us would quote “love the sinner, hate the sin” to a mother whose beloved child was heinously tortured and brutally murdered by a terrorist. We would want to stop the evil one at all cost before they were free to inflict further harm.

God hates evil enough to flood the whole earth in Noah’s days rather than look upon it. His wrath is justified. But if God loves us unconditionally, how much evil are we free to get away with without consequence? Why would we want to? But hey what harm is there in allowing a little bit of greed or jealousy to find its way into our hearts? Did you feel the distaste for that thought as you read it? I did!

The prophets of the Bible had their lives torn apart by God so that He could send them to deliver a message from Him. They warned of impending doom if the hearers did not heed the message of correction. As a prophet, I’m often not happy with the investment that God expects of me to bring a word from Him to a false teacher. I’ve been doing this for years and it never gets easier. If I try to turn my heart off to escape the pain of repeatedly having the door shut in my face, God punishes me for not having enough fervor. If you don’t understand that on the surface then hear it from God’s own words to Jeremiah from Scripture. “I will pronounce my judgments on my people because of their wickedness in forsaking me, in burning incense to other gods and in worshiping what their hands have made. ‘Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them.’”

How much should God ignore the false teachers’ doctrines if their heart towards Him is right? It seems that they have just been taught wrong doctrine not that they themselves crafted it. So how much are they responsible for teaching it to God’s beloved children? It seems like a cycle of false teaching will continue to evolve unless God stops it. I will use an obvious example to help explain this concept. In the Catholic church one of the false doctrines is that the people should pray to Mary or dead saints to intercede, rather than pray directly to God. That seems like the most ridiculous assertion especially to anyone who has read and understood the Bible. We know with certainty that we are to pray only to God because we understand the covenant arrangement. We are to have no other gods. Praying to Mary or praying to a saint is an occult activity. Yet, that false doctrine stands strong in the Catholic religion and has for generations. You might ask, where’s the harm? At least the Catholics have a strong heart for charitable causes. Oh please, give me a break! I’m shaking my head as I type this because that’s exactly how many of you who are reading this feel despite that God hates that false teaching. He hates it!

So, does God hate the false teaching in your church? There seems to be little evidence of it since He allows you to sit in that church pew week after week never questioning the false teaching or trying to eradicate it. Heck, you bring your family to be immersed in it as though it’s a good thing. Maybe you’re too lazy to do the hard work, or maybe you cannot afford to lose your comfortable favor to bring a message from the Lord. Oh, but you have no problem mocking His messenger. Sit in your comfortable seat. Enjoy the air conditioning. Praise the Lord in His sanctuary. But know, the Lord will not put up with your insolence forever. One day, He is going to open your eyes and move you out of your comfort because you will suddenly see the evil, that can no longer be unseen. You will dread the day that you brought your family to a place where lies have been acceptable. You will taste vomit in your own mouth when you realize that you have been complicit in their deceit. You have joined in against God’s messenger because it was easier than standing strong against false teaching. But … you can’t be bothered to learn to hear God’s voice in prayer. That’s just too much dedication to expect from you. You can’t even be expected to read the Bible, can you? Isn’t that what you pay a pastor to do on your behalf? This message was entitled “Venom or Fervor”, but who am I kidding, I can’t get you to question your own moral compass much less the pastor’s. Certainly, you are all doing the Lord’s work, so have at it.

THE LIAR’S DNA

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Jesus was having a conversation with the Jews who wanted to kill Him. He said “Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:43-44 NIV)

Truth tellers fact-check with God. Jesus went on to say “Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.” (John 8:447 NIV)

What is your spiritual DNA? Do you belong to the father of lies or do you belong to God? How does God see you?

I only ask these questions about your spiritual paternity because I’ve heard a few false doctrines coming from your direction. How could that be? Anyone who belongs to God has the ability to hear God speak (according to Jesus’ own words in John 8:47). So why aren’t you asking God about your doctrines?

If you’re teaching false doctrine, it’s because you didn’t ask God and listen to His answer. The devil can spoon-feed manipulated interpretations of Biblical texts and use you to pollute the doctrine to your generation. Is that really how you want God to see you?

Maybe you should read the Scriptures about how God treats false teachers. Let me know if you would like me to list them for you. I’m happy to remind you of the importance of teaching truth.

(God awakened me early this morning to deliver this message. I don’t know exactly who it is for. If it’s for you, then you know.)

A Prophet’s Journey

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What I’m writing about today may seem strange. It’s difficult to put into words the way that God works through me as His prophet.

Since Wednesday morning, God has been prompting me to express the importance of His presence. For these last few days, He has been making His presence known to me very strong. I wake up with a thundering heartbeat. At various times throughout the day, He makes His presence known through a rocking that I cannot settle. I know that sounds weird if you haven’t experienced it, but it’s usually what alerts me to Him making His presence known. He’s always with me but at times He wants to be more obvious.

Yesterday morning, I woke up from nightmares of violence all around me. The Lord wouldn’t say much except that it would not touch me and my children. So let me say again, that God works through His prophets in unique ways. Dreams and visions can just be to get us in a particular frame of mind. While I might tend to think that the dreams of violence are a near future event, it might be God’s way of pushing me to warn with a fervent heart. Think of when God sent Jonah to warn the Ninevites. The message was one of destruction but it caused them to turn away from evil and the promised destruction did not happen.

Last night I was sick with an upset stomach and bathroom issues. (I’m trying to express that it was unpleasant without being too explicit.) The entire time that I was feeling ill, the presence of the Lord was heavy on me. He told me that He wants me to understand that I am not in control. He wants me to know very definitely that I am not in control so that when His hand of wrath comes down on people that I don’t get a say or have a right to compassion on their behalf. This was a very important message from Him to me, and He had to make me feel the weight of it.

Overnight, I had a frustrating dream about trying to acquire a wedding dress. I can’t remember enough of the details but one stood out very strong to me. I was instructed to go to a store in the mall that was store number 10,### (I think it was 10,008.) I’m not certain about the number except that it was over 10,000. As a prophet, I’ve learned that when something stands out strong, it is a focused clue from God. I’m only surmising what this might have been about so remember that please. The wedding dress is possibly tied to the wedding of the Lamb. (I will add a few supporting Scriptures below.) The number could represent a time, for example 10,000+ minutes, 10,000+hours/days/months etc. I’m not one to calculate those things but to instead look at the bigger picture … that our time is numbered and limited.

This morning, when I got out of bed and looked in the mirror, I saw that I have a black-eye like I had been punched in the eye. Still feeling the presence of the Lord strong with me, I asked Him why the black eye? He said “You will understand when the time is right.” As you can imagine I questioned whether I had done something wrong. He said that I had done exactly His will. So evidently, I’m right where I belong doing exactly what I’m supposed to be doing.

In summary, something is up. I don’t have many details other than what I’ve relayed in this post. But God is leading me and making His presence known.

Matthew 22:2 NIV
“The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son.”

Jeremiah 2:32 NIV
“Does a young woman forget her jewelry, a bride her wedding ornaments? Yet my people have forgotten me, days without number.”

Revelation 19:7 NIV
“Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.”

POWERFULLY!

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For those of us who have experienced the unmistakable presence of God, we know when we have stepped outside of His will. The only way that we can be comforted is to once again feel His presence. It’s what prompts us to enter back into covenant relationship. He requires that we humble ourselves and regain an in-sync posture.

The nearness of God is security, safety, and calm. But for those who haven’t experienced His presence, they can’t understand the apparent “addiction” to being right where we belong. As we learned to walk in lockstep with God, we also learned when we stepped outside of the intentional path. We were taught by the closeness or absence of His presence.

Are you right where you belong? How do you know?

(Part 2) Today’s theme with God is about HIS PRESENCE. I woke up this morning feeling the presence of God around me powerfully. It wasn’t just His gentle whisper or usual morning humor, it was His unmistakable presence that could not be denied. He wanted me to know that He was near.

I remember early on in my walk with the Lord, that I wondered if I was just imagining the subtle voice and presence of God. Maybe I suddenly had a greater imagination than ever before in my life. Do you know how it is when you see someone else yawn, and you find yourself yawning? I wondered if maybe those little nuances were my mind playing tricks on me. Until … God made Himself too obvious to deny.

In the years of walking with the Lord, the subtle reminders of His presence are greatly welcome. But at times, I want to feel His Spirit come powerfully on me. Not for the power so much as the intimacy of Spirit. It’s a reminder that I’m right where I belong at exactly the time when I belong.

“So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah.” (1 Samuel 16:13 NIV)

“The Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon him so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat. But he told neither his father nor his mother what he had done.” (Judges 14:6 NIV)

“Then the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon him. He went down to Ashkelon, struck down thirty of their men, stripped them of everything and gave their clothes to those who had explained the riddle. Burning with anger, he returned to his father’s home.” (Judges 14:19 NIV)

“When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God came powerfully upon him, and he burned with anger.” (1 Samuel 11:6 NIV)

“With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all” (Acts 4:33 NIV)

“The Spirit of the LORD will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person.” (1 Samuel 10:6 NIV)

“As he approached Lehi, the Philistines came toward him shouting. The Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon him. The ropes on his arms became like charred flax, and the bindings dropped from his hands.” (Judges 15:14 NIV)

Noah’s God

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What is it going to take for God to get your attention?

Whatever it takes, He can do it. I don’t like seeing these areas ravaged from a hurricane. And as many want to think that the destruction comes from the hand of the enemy, that’s wrong. God is very aware that there is an election coming up where the fate of our nation is at stake. He knows exactly how many of our citizens have come to Him in prayer, and asked for His direction … and exactly how many haven’t.

I’ve spent the last two decades teaching people to learn to listen for God’s voice in prayer. What I overwhelmingly see is that MOST everyone refuses to listen to God because they want to be their own god. What other reason could there be? Tell me. Why wouldn’t Christians want to hear God’s voice in prayer? I’m right here. I haven’t moved. Still offering and still ignored. Maybe I’m the crazy one for still being willing to be ignored and equally ready to help.

God is very aware of your excuses. He can get your attention! But don’t believe me …

Contrast Teaches

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There are many lessons that God teaches me through the art of contrast.

Recently, I purchased a $5 McDonalds’ gift card to have in my wallet for the next time that I saw someone in need. Just knowing that it was there, shifted my attention to the details of who might need help the most. For the two weeks that I have had the gift card in my possession, I haven’t noticed anyone in need … or at least nobody that God would point out as one who would receive the gift. Yes, I realize that it’s a small gift, but to someone it might signal that the world is less harsh, that there are those who see their pain, or even that God is providing their needs. So it’s a gift worth giving.

This morning, I was sitting alone at McDonalds. I had earphones on listening to praise music while I enjoyed breakfast. A few booths away were two teenage boys. They were neatly dressed and happily enjoying breakfast of their choosing. Another young man, carrying a backpack, approached the counter and patiently awaited for a server to take his order. He only ordered a cup of water, which I know because the server was sure to yell it loudly, non-discreetly into the kitchen.

I wanted to give the young man the $5 gift card. Wasn’t that why I had it? But, as I always do, I asked the Lord if that was His will. I was surprised to hear Him say “No”. It pained me to see the young man clearly hungry. He was just a boy. Why would the Lord withhold His help from him? Over the next few minutes, I continued to ask the Lord if I could help the young man. The Lord’s response was the same.

The contrast that I saw was that the two situations seemed to be based on parenting. The two boys appeared to have a quality family life, their needs provided, and happiness that comes from contentment. While the other boy might have hoped that he had a home or parents to rely on. I realize that I’m making that assumption with little information to go on. My compassion wanted to reach out and help the other young man feel valued, but God withheld it.

What did I learn from that contrast? I’m not sure just yet. That $5 gift card may have been there to teach me more than to help someone. What do you think is the lesson?

The Road of Least Resistance?

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It’s been 15-20 years ago since I led women’s ministry at two churches. The one church was mostly wealthy older women who didn’t seem to have a hunger to know God, and the other church was full of younger women who had so many hurts and were starving for a touch from God. The contrast was amazing and taught me something valuable.

If we are comfortable in our lives we can play what I call country-club religion. We can pray before meals in public and participate in group Bible studies to feel like we have given God His due. But when we are needy, whether it be through illness, financial hardships, abuse or loss, suddenly we are willing to put more effort into knowing God and His will for our lives.

We should thank God when He puts a great need before us if it leads us to intimacy with Him. But if that need only leads to more country-club religion rather than a true hunger to know Him, it has no value but to reduce us. Listen, God can reduce us to nothing. What use are we to Him if we are too busy enjoying the gifts and not the gift-giver.

While I believe that we should be thankful to God for the loved ones that He brings into our lives, like spouses, children, grandchildren, and dear friends, we cannot ignore God and expect that He doesn’t see.

All these years later, after walking away from women’s ministry into deliverance and prophetic ministry, the contrast of a willingness to know God intimately is so very obvious. Yes, there are times when I miss the fellowship with the ladies who I adored, but I wouldn’t trade my time with God. No regrets here with my determination to set myself apart to know God. I will walk intentionally on the path that He has for me. Will you?