Waking Up in Fight Mode!

Lately I have been having night dreams that involve someone stealing from me, trying to harm children around me, or some other fist-clenching scenario. It happened again last night. When I awakened, I asked God why these dreams so often. I should say upfront that I believe all dreams are from God versus as a result of something I ate or any external issues. (I could give you the Biblical foundation for my belief, but then this would get off point, so I will provide that separately if you request it.)

God answered my question seemingly without words. The answer just came into my mind. God wants me in fight mode. That’s the reason for all the little annoyances too. God doesn’t want me peacefully enjoying a content life. He wants me constantly in fight mode ready to defend truth and justice. He doesn’t seem to want me to settle for comfort. So to be sure that I don’t have that option, He constantly requires me to strive. Let me just say this: I understand the technique and why it’s required, but that can’t be fun to be around. I’m certainly not enjoying it. So is that why all the Biblical disciples and prophets were always on edge? Were they always aware that battle and sacrifice might be just around the next corner? I suppose that it requires constant training to be ready to “take a bullet” for your beliefs. Obviously, I don’t expect to actually take a bullet, but the dreams that I have been having demand that I fight with everything I’ve got to defend what’s right. I think that I’m naturally a fighter. I just don’t give up. I take perseverance seriously. If there is a stance to be taken, I’m going to stand firmly with truth.

So God wants me in fight mode. Ok then, I will do my best to stay focused on the battles. What about you? Are you in fight mode? It certainly would be easier to want the sweet dreams that don’t require anything but comfort. But what does that do for the Kingdom of God? Should we be building up our own little kingdoms when the Lord wants us fighting for His? Should we choose ease in this life rather than wanting to submit ourselves to the Lord’s specific will for us? I’m in the fight!

Gender XYZ (Page 4 of 4)

SPIRITUAL GIFTS:
Without a spiritual connection to God, a person cannot experience the supernatural anointing from God. The adversary wants to manipulate and confuse what it means to be a child of God.

“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”
(Galatians 5:16 NIV)

As you walk with the Spirit, you hear God’s voice and receive His anointing.  You will learn your strengths and weaknesses and come to understand your spiritual identity. If, however, you don’t walk with the Spirit and recognize God’s voice, you will be susceptible to the enemy’s voice and manipulations of your identity. The adversaries’ interpretation of who you are is contrary to God’s plans for your life.

The enemy is clever and can fool even religious people who don’t walk with the Spirit of God. Listen, the psychological warfare used by the devil is cloaked in selfish desires of the flesh. You must know your spiritual identity which is intricately tied to how God uniquely designed you. Do not be deceived.

“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.”
(1 Corinthians 12:4-11 NIV)

SPIRITUAL BATTLE:

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12 NIV)

Secular psychiatrists will discount psychological warfare in the spiritual realm and label gender dysphoria as mental illness. Christian deliverance ministry vastly differs from secular psychiatry. Secular psychiatry expects for each person to decide their own fate and to be their own “god”. Christian deliverance ministry investigates the warfare/disconnect in the spiritual realm, helps to assess the spiritual battle elements, and works to restore/improve the spiritual connection to God. 

DON’T BELIEVE ME … ASK GOD YOURSELF!

If evil spirits can convince someone that they are the opposite sex from who God created them to be, then the adversary has succeeded in polluting the identity of the person and his/her connection to God. The way to reverse the enemy’s success is to submit yourself to God: 1) Ask the Lord to silence and bind the enemy so that you can have a sincere forgiveness conversation with God without interference from the evil one; 2) Ask God to identify the sins that you need to ask forgiveness for and humbly seek His forgiveness. This needs to be a specific sin acknowledgement versus “forgive me for everything”.  You can’t learn from your mistakes if you don’t know exactly where you have gone wrong.  Learn from your conversation with God. Ask God to expose the enemies’ lies and deception so that you can walk free; 3) Ask the Lord to take back any spiritual authority that you gave away when you weren’t walking with God; 4) Seek direction from God going forward.

“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” (Ephesians 6:13-18 NIV)

Gender XYZ (Page 3 of 4)

Flesh vs. Spirit

“For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.”
(Galatians 5:17 NIV)

On the following page we will study the subject of spiritual warfare, but before that, let’s look at how the spirit and flesh are two separate bodies. The physical body is visible while the spiritual body is unseen. The physical body is temporary, and the spiritual body is eternal. The spiritual body is created in God’s image. God is Spirit. (God made Himself visible in temporary flesh over 2,000 years ago to be the final priest and final atonement sacrifice so that we can have direct access to God for covenant restoration conversation.)

Parents don’t need to teach the physical body how to grow. They can guide nutritional eating and healthy lifestyle habits, but they are not involved in choosing the physical attributes of their offspring. Parents can however aid in the spiritual growth of their children. They can encourage spiritual connection to God and be an example by listening to God in prayer, studying the Bible, and living in obedience to the will of God. They can display the fruit of the Spirit that is evident when walking with the Spirit of God and under His anointing.  But, if instead, a child is raised to prefer worldly ideas to God’s will, they will not mature spiritually and will likely abandon any connection to God.

“Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:5-8 NIV)

Invisible Spirit (God’s Image)

•“God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24 NIV)

•“Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image…’” (Genesis 1:26 NIV)

•“and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to the God who gave it.” (Ecclesiastes 12:7 NIV)

•“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV)

•“So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.” (1 Corinthians 15:42-44 NIV)

Breath of Life Scriptures: (from adjacent page)
Genesis 1:30, 2:7, 6:17, 7:15, 7:22; Job 12:10, Job 27:3, 33:4, Isaiah 42:5; John 20:22

“You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you.  And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.” (Romans 8:9 NIV)

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Gender XYZ (Page 2 of 4)

The Gender Reveal:
God knits together the physical body in the mother’s womb using the parents’ DNA. The decision of male or female gender is exclusively God’s to make as He creates the child in the mother’s womb. God sovereignly chooses the key identity characteristics of each person. It’s not by chance. It’s by design.

“Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” (Psalm 139:16 NIV)

With sonogram and blood testing technologies available, expectant parents can know the sex of their unborn child even before the baby is fully formed. However, the gender of the child is never a surprise to God. God chooses the physical and spiritual body of every individual. He doesn’t make mistakes nor is He ever unsure of His plans.

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.” (Psalm 139:13-15 NIV)

Flesh Versus … :
“See now that I myself am he! There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand.” (Deuteronomy 32:39 NIV)

God is sovereign over life and death, both physical and spiritual. Let’s look at the physical body first where male and female characteristics are most obvious. The physical body is created by God in our parents’ likeness while the spiritual body is created in God’s image. God is Spirit. The spiritual being will either go to Heaven or Hell (as determined by God) when the physical body dies.

God breathes the “breath of life” or the spiritual being (created in God’s image) at birth. The spiritual being is separate from the physical being and is not part of the reproduction process. The physical body dies but the spiritual body is eternal.

•“The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” (Job 33:4 NIV)

•“This is what God the LORD says—the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it:” (Isaiah 42:5 NIV)

•“But after the three and a half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them.” (Rev. 11:11 NIV)

•“And with that he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’”. (John 20:22 NIV)

“Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” (Genesis 2:7 NIV)

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Gender XYZ (Page 1 of 4)

There are few things that we get to sovereignly control. We don’t get to choose when or where we’re born, who our parents are, our gender, ethnicity, or biological siblings. God chooses all those things. And since we are not God, we don’t get to usurp His authority.

Rarely do we even get to know our divine purpose except for glimpses in hindsight. We don’t get to demand or bargain for the spiritual giftings, anointing from God, or rewards from God. We don’t get to decide for God when it comes to discipline and punishment. Our true identities are largely dictated by all those things outside of our control.

So why do some try to pretend that they aren’t who God created them to be? Why do some males want to be females,  females want to be males, and others want to be gender neutral or binary? Is their confusion exclusively a mental illness known as gender dysphoria or is there an underlying spiritual problem?

Why would anyone want to oppose God’s choices on such a basic tenant of their identity? The adversary wants to confuse people about their gender to manipulate their spiritual well-being. Evil can find a way to permeate itself into the minds and hearts of unprotected, naïve, and wayward souls. Should we help them or ignore them? Should we pretend that the devil doesn’t have them in his clutches?

Male and female are vastly different in many ways. The divine architect chose for men and women to function in specific roles. For example: a woman cannot be a substitute for a man and a man cannot be a substitute for a woman when it comes to their roles in creating offspring.

The adversary wants to oppose God’s choices. With the obvious God-chosen physical differences in the male and female genitals it would seem unlikely that the devil could succeed in gender deceptions. However, he uses psychological warfare to manage his schemes against humanity.

What is the Church’s responsibility to help restore proper identity? Are we even allowed to discuss this issue from the pulpits? Has the devil, armed with political correctness, made It impossible for us to help those who have been deceived?

“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:27 NIV)

Would God Harden That Heart?

The words “But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he was not willing to let them go”* are devastating. Is that saying what I think it’s saying? Why would God purposely harden the heart of our adversary when we’re trying to escape captivity? Was God also wanting to change a captive heart from apathetic to motivated?

In my own life, just as I was learning to hear God’s voice and obey, it seemed that God hardened the hearts of many key players around me. I didn’t know it at the time but I was living as a captive. God hardened those hearts against me to force me to rise up and learn to walk free. Certainly there were no visible chains holding me, but the mental chains were real. If the church said that God doesn’t speak, then who was I to dispute their lies? If the church said that women weren’t anointed by God to lead, wasn’t I supposed to just shut up and sit pretty? Seriously, how dare I think that God had chosen for me to escape the captivity of bogus church traditions and false doctrine?

In hindsight, I can thank the Lord for making me a fighter through those hideous hardened hearts of my betrayers. I can tell you with confidence that God has chosen me to dispute the false teachings in the church and to boldly proclaim that women can receive every anointing from God as He decides.

I’m ok with that hardened heart of the opposition because God is on my side preparing the escape plan even now. Remember that He used ten plagues against Egypt when they tried to hold His people captive. Perhaps God is a bit of a show off in hardening their hearts. Rise up beloved and follow God to the promised land.

*Exodus 10:27 NIV

Identity Proud!

I proudly identify as an American. I’m not ashamed of my country’s heritage. This nation was formed for God’s purpose of freedom from religious persecution. The pilgrims were a small group of Christians who settled on largely uninhabited land. Rewritten history is being sold to our children and causing them to be ashamed of their homeland.

There are over 2 billion acres of land in the United States of America and over 6 billion acres on the North American continent. When the pilgrims first settled here there were about 60,000 indigenous people. There were only about 100 pilgrims in the first settlers. I can do the math, if you can’t. So please stop believing that our Christian ancestors came over here and stole from the Indians. There is absolutely no reason that on 2 billion acres of land that they could not have peacefully coexisted. There are bad apples in every tribe and people group. The devil and spiritual forces of evil are real. Spiritual war is real. We cannot discount that many of the settlers and indigenous people were friendly and worked together to form a more perfect nation.

God chose for me to be an American. I choose to honor Him by having pride in His choice. He chose for me to be born a female. I honor His choice. He chose for me to be “white”. I honor His choice. He chose for me to be this age. I honor His choice. He chose who my parents and siblings would be. I honor His choice. He chose the number of children that would be born to me. I honor His choice.

God chose for Christian pilgrims to arrive in America. Will you honor His choice? God chose for this nation to be a place free from religious persecution. Will you honor His choice? God chose to accept leadership in forming the Constitution of the United States of America. Will you honor His choice?

I’m not god, nor are you … honor God’s choices! In God We Trust!

Hindered Vision

Yes, ignorance can be bliss, but also sometimes knowing more can be useful or powerful. I had a learning experience this weekend that put previous experiences in a different perspective. Listen, this learning experience didn’t come easy and I really should let you have to endure a similar one without giving you the final lesson plan, but maybe I learned it for both of us. So here goes …

I started the Spring Break weekend with back pain. It was that obnoxious lower back ache that dulls the desire to do anything useful. However, an earlier lesson with back pain resulted in me learning to use a tennis ball to self-massage the trouble spot. But it only seemed to dislodge what in hindsight was likely a kidney stone or stones. It was uncomfortable in the back but much more severe when it moved to the front. I spent the weekend with moist heat and Tylenol as my only friends. I watched way too much useless television and napped more than should be permissible.

So where’s the lesson? The lesson was revealed to me upon awaking this morning. The stones have seemingly passed and I was able to accomplish a few tasks, including laundry, yesterday. When I was going through the pain and suffering, I asked the Lord what was the purpose for it. I admit that I asked every question possible and only the Lord could have the patience needed to deal with me. The Lord said that I had done exactly His will and that this was not punishment. Forgive me for not believing that answer. But that was His answer. Big bully is what I really thought! He was patient in my affliction.

The lesson came in our early morning conversation today. He reminded me of the five senses: sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste. If I was without one of the five senses the other senses would be heightened to make up for the diminished sense. For example, if I were without sight, my hearing would likely become more aware. It’s like when we were youngins. New sights, sounds, and tastes were exciting and developed our discernment for color, texture, pitch etc. Alternately, as we age, our senses diminish gradually with impaired vision, hearing, taste, and more, also affecting our perspective. We don’t need to dwell on that because that’s not the central focus of this lesson (says the aging lady writing this).

So what in the world does that have to do with kidney stones or any other trial that we go through? I often equate hardship with discipline or punishment from God and sometimes let’s face it, that’s true. Ask Noah about everyone who got wiped off the planet in his day. But, God said of this particular hardship that it was not discipline or punishment. Some trials are to better position us or to equip us. That doesn’t make them more fun as we’re going through them, but at least there isn’t a punishment event going on. God was being rather quiet about all of it until this morning when He reminded me of the heightened senses. So why kidney stones?

The kidney stones forced me to be inside and alone. They forced me to not accomplish the to-do list in my head. They forced me to question my relationship with God. (Thankfully, that was in a good place.) The kidney stones forced me to see that I can take a day or two off without significant consequences. Maybe I can actually stop and smell the roses. I can’t take good health for granted. God has been pretty good at keeping me safe and healthy — when He wants to. I think that I gained insight about perspectives. When we are cut off from one perspective, we gain another.

I’m not sure that I described this well or even if I understand it fully. Maybe new wisdom will come as I mull this over in the days ahead. If you understand this from a different perspective, please share your thoughts. Maybe writing this will help us all.

Cheaters’ Access

Nobody wants a cheater. Can we all agree on that?

If you’re resolutely unhappy in marriage, get a divorce. Don’t stay married while having a mistress on the side. And for those mistresses out there, know this if he will cheat with you, he will cheat on you. And please don’t quote Scripture that “God hates divorce” for your reasoning for all your garbage justifications. The real reason that you are staying with that bogus marriage is that you can’t afford to lose half of your material belongings or income. I get it that you want your children to have both parents in a stable home life. Please, kids can see through all the stuff sometimes better than you can. If you are unhappy, either resolve the problems effectively, or set yourself and your partner free in the most mutually agreeable terms. You have to live with yourself and truth for the rest of your life.

Why am I saying all this? Is it meant for you? I’m saying this to remind you that you are in a marriage-like relationship with God if you have sworn an oath of allegiance to Him. You don’t get to have your fake god on the side. You don’t get to pretend that you’re really a Christian while ignoring God. Your children will see that for exactly what it is. (And it’s probably why many youth today want nothing to do with God — they see how well it worked for you.) If you don’t want the relationship with God, then don’t fake it. Either work with determination to get things right with God or walk away. You can fool some people some of the time, but you can’t fool God. He see’s everything! He owns everything! He has power over life and death!

Communion is a symbolic reminder that you are in a covenant relationship with God. In some ways, it’s like wearing a wedding ring. God wants you to remember that He stepped down into human history, endured the cross, so that you know that you can come to Him, restore a broken covenant through having a conversation to make things right between the two of you. If you have broken intimacy with Him through what you know was wrong (sin), you have access to God to ask for forgiveness. He agrees to giving you that access even when you have sinned. That’s what the cross provided for you. It did not provide for a Christian-in-name-only brand. What kind of inheritance is that for your children?

Christians think that they’re supposed to be comfortable, provided for, and happy because God is their God. But, that’s not what being a Christian is about. God doesn’t want you to be selfishly comfortable. He doesn’t want you to have material things that you don’t need while others of His children go without. God doesn’t want for you to be happy while you choose opposite of His will. And I can promise you this, God will always know when you have a little g “god” on the side.

Happy Communion Sunday!

Their Little G “gods”

Seriously? A Christian should never use the term “Mother Nature”.

God is in control of the weather. There are people that think that it’s wrong for me to correct people who use the term “Mother Nature”. But my stance is this … if someone uses the Lord’s name in a derogatory way like using the phrase “GD”, then they have introduced the right for me to use the Lord’s name in a favorable way. If they don’t want to hear me talk about God, then they shouldn’t either. Same with using the term “Mother Nature”. If they are going to talk about their pretend god, then I can surely talk about my real God.

You guessed it. If they’re going to talk about the fictional characters of the Easter bunny, Santa Claus, aliens, and more, they’re inviting me to talk about my real God. I’m sick of people gossiping that I talk about God too much. If they only heard how stupid they sound talking about their fake “gods”, they would know how I feel about them.

Yes, that includes the morons that pray to dead saints and Mary. I shake my head every time wondering how they can call themselves a Christian. Christians only pray to God. If I could only teach them what truth is … but can I if I’m to remain silent? Ha ha I won’t be silent no matter how much they want me to be. So there’s that!