Tag Archives: Obeying God

New Magazine Assignment

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This morning, God made it official that I have a new assignment of creating a magazine about the healthy church vs. the unhealthy church. I blame it all on you, the readers. This topic has been one of the most liked of all the ministry blog posts so far. Really, though I do enjoy your likes, so please keep letting me know what is important to you.

Today, I spent the day working on a DRAFT magazine cover. Most of the content, minus graphics and page layout, are already complete for the majority of the pages. It’s just the posts that you have already read. I’m sure the Lord will have some things to add, but for now what do you think about the cover? I need feedback.

An Invite to a Healthy Church?

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Would you invite me to your church?

Over the last few weeks, I have been writing about the differences between the healthy and unhealthy churches. So, I’m asking you, do you attend a healthy church?

Does your pastor and church managers (staff, ministers, elders, apostles) know God and hear His voice? Do they actively stay connected to God and ask Him about their doctrinal stances?

Does your church walk with the Spirit of God and receive anointing in the manifestation of the Spirit gifts that require God’s active presence? Does your church honor those gifts?

Are you confident that God is pleased with your church? Did you ask Him? Does your church have real discipleship opportunities for men, women, youth, and children? Are the gifts that God delivers through you harnessed in the church or are they forsaken?

Are there women ministers who have a heart for God in your church? If so, are they given the same platform as men to share their giftings from God? Are women honored as daughters of the King, and mighty warriors against spiritual forces of evil?

If your church isn’t healthy, please don’t invite me. I’ve seen enough unhealthy churches to fill the quota. But I certainly would love to be part of a church where God’s will is actively pursued and celebrated to the full. Maybe while you’re at church this morning, you could assess their walk with the Spirit of God and get back to me.

The Healthy Church Vs. The Unhealthy Church: Unity of the Spirit (Continued, Part 3 of 3)

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Let’s continue the conversation about the disunity in the churches. Remember that the unhealthy church is a headless body. It tries to operate without the head of the church. God is the head of the church. God is not a book or an interpretation of a book. The unhealthy church body without the head is spiritually blind and deaf. They do not have eyes to see or ears to hear. Their version of unity is a consensus of opinions of man rather than unity with the Spirit. Their doctrine is man-made instead of Spirit-led.

Again, we will briefly recap where we left off in my top ten list of false doctrines in the churches: The FALSE DOCTRINES that we previously discussed are: 1) Mute God; 2) Three Gods; 3) Jesus as a Separate God; 4) Automatically Forgiven; 5) God Needs Counsel; 6) The Holy Spirit is Unable to Anoint; and 7) Women Must Be Silent and/or Women Are Not Allowed to Lead in the Church.

The remaining three false doctrines, of my top ten list, are outlined here:

False Doctrine #8) All are Saved from Hell: Modern Christianity has often done a poor job of expressing God’s heart on the matter of an eternal home and how to secure the coveted destination. Many wrongly teach that God, because He is loving and merciful, cannot have justice or wrath against rebellion and unbelief. Their theology suggests that God would never send anyone to hell. But if there is anyone in hell, and there are, can you guess who sent them there?

* “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’” (Matthew 25:41 NIV)

Suggesting that all are saved who took a one-time oath of allegiance is bogus theology. From that false theology spews so many others. It’s likely why so many don’t seem too concerned about the consequences of their rebellion. They are not afraid of God’s wrath because they don’t believe that He is allowed to be angry with a broken oath of allegiance. If we can break our oath, then God can certainly refuse to be our God. If He’s not your God, then He is not your Savior.

* “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21 NIV)

False Doctrine #9) Forgiven by the Blood/Cross: We are forgiven by the will of God. While the atonement process that happened at the cross gave us direct access to God for a forgiveness conversation, it did NOT replace the need for actually asking for forgiveness from God.

That forgiveness conversation also affords you to ask God questions about how you can respond better during the same temptation going forward. God has a will. The cross or the blood at the cross do not have a will. Those are non-thinking things.

God views your heart and motives. The cross and blood cannot view your motives. God has sovereignty over life and death. The cross and blood do not have sovereignty over life and death. The healthy church distinguishes the difference.

Ask God for forgiveness every time. (I ask God every day if there is anything that I need to ask forgiveness for. I listen for His answer. Either it is a time of hearing that I did good or it is a time for me to learn to do better. But it is always a way to safeguard my relationship with God. I don’t ask a cross or blood to forgive me. I ask God to forgive me.)

False Doctrine #10) Spiritual Warfare is Not Real: If spiritual warfare is not real, then why did Jesus evict evil spirits and cast out demons? Why does the Bible warn to resist the devil and to put on the armor of God? Who did the Lord have a conversation with about Job? Why did Jesus have a conversation with the devil in the desert (Matthew 4:1-10) if the devil is not real?

* “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour?” (1 Peter 5:8 NIV)

Now that we have studied those top ten false doctrines, we must NOT stop there. There are many more false doctrines that can be addressed. I can name a few to get you thinking: fasting to force God’s hand, baptismal regeneration, and closed communion. In closing, it’s easy to twist Scriptures to create a theology that gives you what your itching ears want to hear. But knowing that God is watching and examining our motives and heart, should make each person hesitant to jump on the bandwagon with false teachers just because it’s easier than the investment of studying and seeking God.

Are there any of you that will insist on truth from the pulpits of the churches?

The Healthy Church Vs. The Unhealthy Church: Unity of the Spirit

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The healthy church walks with the Spirit of God, but the unhealthy church has “Him” locked in a book that they lord themselves over. As one who walks with the Spirit of God and hears His voice daily, the differences between the healthy and unhealthy church are monumental. I’m afraid for the generations who will be deceived into spending their lives stuck in the unhealthy church and living as if they have sovereignty over God.

Let’s talk about why there are denominations in Christianity. First let’s remove two big blocks of Christianity from this mix: Catholicism and Mormonism, and intentionally focus in on just Protestant churches. If there were truly unity of the Spirit in Christianity, there would be no need for denominations. Each denomination is a division based on different doctrinal interpretations.

Division is the opposite of unity. So, please don’t think that there is unity of the Spirit where there are denominations in the church. Each denomination carries with it a different set of rules or doctrines. That would not happen if all the churches were walking in unity with the Spirit of God. The individual denominations make no effort to settle doctrinal disputes as if God should be happy with disunity. Instead, they each stand boldly on their own interpretations of Biblical texts as if God doesn’t have a say.

What do you think are the major differences in doctrine in Protestant Christianity? Did your list include any of these that made my top ten?

The top ten FALSE DOCTRINES in the churches that I see are:

1) Mute God: This one just floors me. Asking God about doctrine isn’t an option if God cannot speak. Did the devil ever get a bigger win with that false narrative planted in the churches for generations? However, in recent years, the churches are moving towards revelation that God does speak to those in covenant relationship. You don’t need to be sitting in a church pew or putting money in an offering plate to have real relationship with God. Perhaps the churches have enjoyed that false doctrine of “mute God” so that they could preach dependency on organized false religion.

2) Three Gods: There is not a trinity of gods. Christianity is a one-God religion, also known as monotheistic. Now, I don’t have a problem with identifying different roles of God. God is the Father. The Father did make Himself known for a limited time in Son of Man flesh and reveal His name as Jesus. The Father is Spirit, also known as the Holy Spirit. But to be clear, those are roles or positions of God, not separate Gods. There is NOT a God sitting next to another God on thrones in Heaven. If a pastor is praying to God talking about a second God, you can be sure that he/she doesn’t have a relationship with any of their supposed (three) “Gods”. The false “trinity” doctrine is another big win for the devil. If you’re confused about who your God is, then it’s much harder to be in covenant with only one God. If you’re not in covenant with only one God, then you won’t hear His voice in prayer.

3) Jesus as a Separate God: Jesus is God. Jesus is not a separate or subordinate God. Jesus is the one and only, Alpha & Omega. There was no God before Him or no God after Him. He is the one and only God and Savior. If you are worshipping Him as a lesser God than the “real” God, you are deceived.

4) Automatically Forgiven: If everyone is automatically forgiven because of the blood of the cross, who is in Hell? Listen, just because you make an oath of allegiance to follow God, doesn’t mean that you actually follow through with that wholehearted allegiance. If there were no consequences for breaking the covenant oath, why wouldn’t everyone just hedge their bets by reciting words to earn a “get-out-of-hell free” card? If you were saved by the blood that was shed on the cross over 2,000 years ago, why would you need access to a Savior who is alive today? We DO have access to God in prayer because of the cross. We can have forgiveness conversations with Him and learn from Him how to strengthen ourselves against temptation. We must actually have the conversation and be forgiven by God. We are not automatically forgiven.

The remaining six of my top ten false doctrines in the church will follow in a separate post. It’s a lot to take in all at once.
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The Healthy Church Vs. The Unhealthy Church: Women in Ministry

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The unhealthy church loves to sideline women labeling them as unqualified for God’s anointing. But the healthy church values God’s anointing on women and embraces their leadership qualities.

This subject is personally frustrating to me as a woman who has been hearing God’s voice daily for more than 23 years and one who has personally experienced every manifestation of the Spirit gifts delivered through me. I truly believe that women are generally naturally more receptive to receiving God’s presence then are men. (But don’t believe me. Ask God yourself!)

The Lord regularly speaks through me in tongues of angels and tongues of men. Like the apostle, Paul, I also speak in tongues more than most of you. Remember that Paul said “I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.” (1 Corinthians 14:18 NIV) However, with all the connection that I have to God, because of my gender, the unhealthy churches refuse those gifts of God through me and other similarly anointed women. Why?

There were women leaders recorded throughout the Scriptures. There were women prophets, women apostles, women evangelists, women teachers, women disciples, and women deliverers. What nonsense is the devil strategically placing in the unhealthy churches that causes them to intentionally wrongly divide Scripture away from God’s heart?

Let’s look at the Biblical texts to study about women and the roles they have held throughout generations as described in both the old and new testament manuscripts.

Female Prophets:
Miriam (Micah 6:4)
Deborah (Judges 4:4-5)
Huldah (2 Kings 22:14)
Anna (Luke 2:36-37)
Phillip’s Four Daughters (Acts 21:8-9)

Female Apostles, Evangelists, Deacons & Teachers:
Junia, an apostle (Romans 16:7)
Priscilla, a teacher and missionary (Acts 18, Romans 16:3, 1 Corinthians 16:19, 2 Timothy 4:19)
Pheobe, a deacon (Romans 16:1-2)
Lois & Eunice (2 Timothy 1:5)
Chloe (1 Corinthians 1:11)
Nympha, church in her house (Colossians 4:15)
Euodia & Syntyche (Philippians 4:2-3)

Female Disciples of Jesus:
Joanna (Luke 8:3, 24:10)
Mary, the mother of James and Joseph (Matthew 27:55, 28:5-7)
Mary of Bethany (Luke 10:38-42, John 11-12)
Salome (Mark 15:40)
Susanna (Luke 8:30)

Female Deliverers:
Deborah (Judges 4:8-10)
Jael (Judges 4:17-22 and 5:24-26)
Esther (Esther 4:14)

In some protestant Christian divisions of the church, women are forbidden from leading prayer or teaching if a man is present despite that we can clearly see in the Scriptures, that woman had leadership and teaching roles with men present. In some divisions of the corporate church, women are not allowed to teach doctrine or discuss doctrinal anomalies despite that there were women prophets, apostles, and evangelists mentioned by name in Biblical texts.

While there are a few texts in Paul’s writings that seem to exclude women from speaking, those are thought to be situational rebukes of specific heresies surrounding women “deities” rather than corporate doctrine. Who but the devil wins in devaluing half of God’s anointed vessels from ministry? How have the unhealthy churches fallen prey to such negligence against God’s heart?

The healthy church seeks God on these matters and doesn’t disqualify His ambassadors based on ethnicity or gender. It has been fewer than 100 years since the unhealthy churches disqualified black men and women from serving in ministry (or even attending church with white people). How does the devil keep blinding churches from truth and continuing that scheme seemingly without corporate church opposition?

Has your church visibly opposed the spiritual crimes against women being perpetrated in the unhealthy churches?

“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28 NIV)

Additional note regarding elders:
I submit to you that 1 Timothy 3:11 and Titus 1:6 (in original context) also gave WOMEN of one-wife husbands leadership authority. Paul specifically calling for “husbands of one wife” proved that polygamy was an issue at that time. However, polyandry (one wife with two or more husbands) was rare or non-existent. Still Paul called out that women ministrants needed to be the wife of a one wife husband. In either case, for men or women, being married or single was not a deterrent from leadership authority. (Paul wasn’t married during his ministry.)

“Women — in like manner grave, not false accusers, vigilant, faithful in all things. Ministrants — let them be of one wife husbands; the children leading well, and their own houses,” (1 Timothy 3:11-12 YLT) ~ Young’s Literal Translation

“ if any one is blameless, of one wife a husband, having children stedfast, not under accusation of riotous living or insubordinate –” (Titus 1:6 YLT)

Some will use these two passages with modern day language translations to promote that women cannot be elders. But the original language does not say that. But don’t believe me. Ask God yourself!

Note: “Polyandry is a rare form of polygamy, which broadly refers to any marriage involving more than two spouses. In polyandrous arrangements, multiple men are married to a single woman, often sharing responsibilities, resources, and familial duties. This contrasts with polygyny, where one man has multiple wives, which is far more common worldwide.” ~Ai assist

The Healthy Church Vs. The Unhealthy Church: Missions

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Warning: You are probably not going to want to hear what I have to say.

We are at war! We need to equip warriors! We need to train warriors! We need to defend truth with our best investment. Gone are the days when the church can afford to be passive on political matters. Gone are the days when the church can afford to ignore God’s specific leading. Gone are the days when the church can view missions as building splash parks and sending shoe boxes to foreign nations.

If the church doesn’t rise up here at home, we are going to lose our nation to the enemy’s schemes. I’m not just talking about homelessness. In fact, that is the least of my concern. Are we a nation that pleases God? If our churches are not training true Christians, those who are willing to fight against injustice with spiritual weapons and strength from God, we will be defeated.

More and more, I see anti-Semitic leadership developing in this nation. Tucker Carlson, once a MAGA warrior, is now spewing anti-Israel garbage. If someone with his viewership can highjack the narrative seemingly overnight, how fast could we lose God’s favor on our nation? Tucker is just one of a growing number of media influencers gaining traction towards tainting our nation’s stance against the devil’s schemes.

I’m begging you to SEEK GOD about this. Please, for the love of God, STOP doing stupid things with God’s money. Really? You’re going to send shoeboxes of meaningless stuff over to other nations when we are in a war to maintain our nation’s sovereignty? Listen, those countries would much rather have God’s favor on them, like we have experienced.

God’s heart is going to turn from us if we don’t start seeking Him with real sincerity. We must invest God’s money in God’s missions. We must stop using missions as a way to advertise “generosity”. We must, instead, start equipping our nation for true revival back to God’s heart. Invest in training people to hear God’s voice. Make it your top priority! Quit turning people into drones that worship religion, and start building a nation who actively listens to God. If you can’t invest in that, get out of the pulpits before God comes against you personally. Because the day is quickly coming when the Lord will no longer put up with your apathy towards His heart.

In the last few decades, our country has imported a nonsense theology against life, liberty, and truth. We import third-world religions and think that we must somehow assimilate with their ungodly values. We have imported a growing neglect for righteousness. If you are blind to it, then please open your eyes. Stop giving God advice and start seeking His counsel.

“‘But if you will not listen to me and carry out all these commands, and if you reject my decrees and abhor my laws and fail to carry out all my commands and so violate my covenant, then I will do this to you: I will bring on you sudden terror, wasting diseases and fever that will destroy your sight and sap your strength. You will plant seed in vain, because your enemies will eat it. I will set my face against you so that you will be defeated by your enemies; those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee even when no one is pursuing you. If after all this you will not listen to me, I will punish you for your sins seven times over.” (Leviticus 26:14-18 NIV)

The Healthy Church Vs. The Unhealthy Church: Politics

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Recently we were called to civic duty to vote in a primary election. Do we also have a spiritual duty to seek God about how to vote? Do we need to seek Him for His specific will? Does God want government leaders who know Him in office? If you answered “yes” to those questions, did it occur to you that none of that was mentioned from the pulpits of the churches?

I purposely listened to many sermons to hear if they mentioned seeking God on how to vote. Not one of those messages included an encouragement to seek God for voting instruction. Not one! Why?

God sent the prophet Samuel to intentionally find and anoint one person, a shepherd boy, to be the future king. He chose David, not one of his brothers? Why?

God has a very specific will that we should not ignore. But did you vote in the primary election without seeking Him? Will you seek Him for how to vote in the general election? For candidates? For Amendments? Do you think that God doesn’t want you to know His exact will for you regarding politics?

Ask yourself this too. Why was I allowed to post repeatedly the names of exact candidates that God told me to vote for (always with the instruction to have your own conversation with God) but your church was not? Why might that please God or anger Him?

And, I ask you to consider if the above lack of seeking God is the same reason that the churches can invest tens of thousands of dollars in Christmas shoe boxes or to repave a church parking lot, but cannot invest in paying teaching ministers to equip congregants to hear God? Are all of their public works aimed at pleasing someone other than God? Which is more appealing to God teaching truth or sending dollar store play things to foreign nations? Ask Him!

“For these are rebellious people, deceitful children, children unwilling to listen to the Lord’s instruction.” (Isaiah 30:9 NIV)

The Healthy Church Vs. The Unhealthy Church: Stands Strong Against Injustice

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Does the church even know what justice is? Can it be trusted to want God’s will against injustice? Individually or corporately are we reluctant to understand God’s need for justice? If we were the one who was falsely accused, would we then desire God’s justice? If we were the one who was abused, would we want God’s justice against our abuser? Is the church afraid to discuss God’s justice because they fear it being directed at them?

“And the heavens proclaim his righteousness, for he is a God of justice. (Psalm 50:6 NIV)

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?” (Isaiah 58:6 NIV)

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’” (Matthew 25:41-43 NIV)

The healthy church understands that God sees right from wrong, good from evil, and every heart motive. We know that He is sovereign and delivers discipline and punishment as only He can. King David was confronted by the Prophet Nathan for conspiring to kill Bathsheba’s husband and to coverup the affair that produced a child. God’s punishment was to kill their firstborn child. That wasn’t karma. That was God’s justice.

“Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for His wrath. For it is written: Vengeance belongs to Me; I will repay, says the Lord.” (Romans 12:19 HCSB)

So, understanding that God sees injustices, does that make you want to pray differently? Could you be praying contrary to the will of God when you pray for healing or provision for someone who God is disciplining and punishing? Do you not think that God is sovereign and can do as He pleases? Or do you instead think that the devil is somehow more powerful than the Lord making it impossible for Him to heal if the enemy were the one delivering the trial?

God is not waiting for you and one-hundred of your closest friends to convince Him how to make His next move. If God needed our advice, He wouldn’t be much of a God. Would He?

“I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’ From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do. (Isaiah 46:10-11 NIV)

To be clear, I am not saying that every trial is a discipline or punishment. Trials can be used to equip us or position us. But God surely doesn’t need our advice in any case. So, wouldn’t it be best to seek God for His will in how to pray? Seek God rather than advise God. Maybe there is something that God would like to explain to you.

The Healthy Church Vs. The Unhealthy Church: Hospitality

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Hospitality is a service gift from God. There are people who just exude this gift and then there are others who don’t have a clue. Who do you know that has a strong gift of hospitality? Now, consider which places that you go to where you always feel welcome. Is it church? Do they know your name? I feel more welcome at local coffee shops than I do at most churches.

Recently, I attended a church event that was posted on social media as a public invite. When I arrived, there was very little emphasis on hospitality. The event host was busily readying the administrative things involved. She asked for contact information so that she could finalize the next meeting location and date. But she never contacted me until after I didn’t show up to the next event. I’m not criticizing her because I have been her. My version of hospitality used to be organizing an event and making sure that everything was done well. I was so event focused that I wasn’t necessarily people focused.

What I’ve learned from years in ministry and attending events is that people want to feel invited every time. They want to feel welcome every time. They want to be made to feel special just for their presence. It takes courage to show up to a group where everyone already knows each other. It’s important to learn names of guests and greet them with sincere care. I recommend for those of us who have administrative talents to partner with at least one person with the gift of hospitality who can concentrate their focus on the welcoming aspect. It’s crucial to repeat attendance. (And of course, we all need to learn hospitality. Ask God to guide you to improve.)

Now, I need to talk about the biggest offense that the church does against hospitality. Everybody has a phone with a camera these days. We are polite enough to silence our phone during sermons (when we are reminded beforehand). But some use the sacred gathering that is meant as a time of worship to take photos of private moments. There should not be any photos or recordings taken of guests during a worship or prayer time. Absolutely ZERO! Ask God about it. He will tell you.

I do not feel comfortable allowing myself to praise God wholeheartedly in worship at churches where a “photoshoot mentality” is practiced. I don’t want someone making a mockery of me raising my hands in praise or bowing in solemn prayer. It’s an invasion of privacy. I should be able to expect privacy away from the paparazzi when I’m in my Father’s house. The churches need to really seek God about this because He is not pleased with the “advertising” gimmick that’s being used. Don’t believe me. Ask God yourself!

Butt-Kissing Pathetic Pew Sitters

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Please listen sisters-in-Christ. You do not have to be sitting in a church chair to hear God and obey. You do not have to be in a church building to hear God and obey. You do not have to be submitted to a certain denomination of the Protestant Christian church to hear God and obey.

God is the head of the church. You can be anywhere that God is (which is everywhere) and be submitted to Him. You can hear God and obey while sitting in your car. You can hear God and obey Him while walking in the park. You can hear God and obey Him while laying down. You can hear God and obey Him while sitting on the toilet. You DO NOT need permission from a pastor to be God’s prophet, messenger, or agent of change.

God is watching the lies and deceit that are being spoon-fed to you. But He is also watching if you’re idly complicit because you’re too lazy or enjoying your seat of dishonor. If a pastor clearly says that the men of the church are gathering to plan the vision of the church, it’s pretty obvious that he is saying that women have no place in setting the vision of the church. If you only knew how little they value God’s appointing and anointing of women, you would be as outspoken against them as I am.

But some of you women will come against me time and time again because you don’t want me to call out the blatant false theologies that he is teaching. You have your lips so close to kissing his butt that you can’t see that he is just using you to build up his seat of honor. Listen, please, if the church’s doctrine is that women are not allowed to discuss doctrine in the church, you should RUN from that place. Instead, you defend that nonsense. Only the devil would want you to defend false doctrine and false teachers. But don’t believe me. Ask God yourself!