You Are A New Creation!

1 John 3:8 says, “Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.” That’s why we need miracles, because the Devil has been working from the spiritual realm into the natural realm to wreak havoc from the very beginning of time. He’s been using spiritual power and spiritual force to try to wreak havoc in the Earth and in our bodies and all around us for centuries. God wants you and I to be the ones who use spiritual force to work righteousness – the Truths of the Kingdom of God – into this Earth. We truly can be the agents to bring Heaven into the Earth; that’s what we’re called to do. We’re called to bring heaven into the Earth.

Remember, Jesus taught us to pray the way He did. He said to pray, “thy kingdom come, thy will be done, here on Earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:9-13). An easy way to know whether something is God’s will or not is to ask, is this happening in heaven? If it’s the same in heaven, then it’s God’s will. God’s will already happens in heaven, so that’s a really easy gauge to use. If we see something going on in the Earth and you know it’s not right, then say something. You could say, “This is not heaven or covenant, and I signed up for heaven.” Right when you were born again, you signed up for heaven. You signed up for a relationship with Jesus Christ, where you were born into the Kingdom of God. As you were born into the Kingdom of God, all of a sudden your heart becomes brand new. You become a new creation in Christ Jesus. According to II Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new.” 

I had a scar on my hand before I was born again. It didn’t disappear after I gave my life to Jesus, yet all things are “made new” in the Kingdom. As you begin to understand the power and authority we have in Christ, God’s will is done in the Earth. When something happens on Earth that doesn’t line up with heaven’s agenda, that’s when you and I are to stand up and speak.

When I was in my senior year of high school, there was this one teacher who was really giving us seniors a hard time. This teacher taught our religion class, and he was just unnecessarily mean. We had to write a two-page paper every week, a 13-page paper at the end of the year, and a bunch of other things throughout the year. Well, one of my classmates got a little angry with the teacher over all that we were expected to do for him. Right in the middle of class one day, my classmate got up and walked out the door, went into the boys’ locker room and turned on the shower. Then he walked back into the classroom and put the teacher in a headlock, picked him up, and was about to carry him out of the classroom. This student was used to throwing bales of hay on his family’s farm, so picking up our teacher was no problem. As I was witnessing this, I realized that it wasn’t right. I stood up and told the student to stop, and he actually listened. Why did he stop? Because I said to and because I had exhibited authority. It wasn’t the kind of authority that said, “I am in charge over you.” No, it was spiritual authority because I was a believer, and I knew my authority in Christ.

When things are happening that are unjust, you have spiritual authority through Christ, my friends. When things are happening that are wrong, you have authority and you have the ability to change those situations. You have the ability to change what’s going on in the Earth, and you have the responsibility to do it. We can’t just sit around waiting and wondering when somebody else is going to do something. Some people go to God and say, “Lord, why did you let this happen?” And He looks right back and says, “Why did you let it happen?”

Genesis 1:26-28 says, “Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’ So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.’” 

God gave us authority and He want us to use it. If we don’t, the devil will gladly pick up where we leave off. And we’re not supposed to leave off; we’re supposed to pick up our responsibility and move forward and do the things that God’s called us to do. So, when you see something that’s not right, you have the responsibility to say or do something.

I was babysitting my brother’s kids once when my nephew said, “My tummy hurts.” And I said, “Well, let me pray for you.” So, he laid down on the couch and I started to pray for him. While I was praying for him, I perceived this black ball or a mass in his belly. I perceived that it was something demonic, so I started to bind it, but I couldn’t cast it out. I don’t know why I couldn’t cast it out of my nephew, but I kept binding it smaller and smaller. I said to my nephew, “Tell me when it stops hurting.” It got to be bound pretty tight before he said his stomach had stopped hurting, but I could still see that it was in there.

I went on with the rest of the evening taking care of the kids, and later on my nephew said his stomach hurt again, so I prayed for him again. We started praying, and right while I was praying for my nephew, his sister threw up all over the floor. I picked her up and ran into the kitchen, and while I was getting her cleaned up, my nephew got sick too. But when I went back in to look and perceive in the Spirit after he had gotten sick, the black thing was gone out of his belly! The thing that I couldn’t cast out earlier had left. I had been given a spiritual perception in that moment to be able to perceive what was actually happening in him, although not completely accurate, but it was accurate enough to get the job done.

God gives us these gifts to use. These gifts are not just for “super-Christians”. You and I one of the called ones because we are followers of Jesus. If you’ve never had an experience where the Holy Spirit leads you into the working of miracles or any of the gifts of the Spirit, venture in. You need to learn how to do these things. It’s time to lay hands on the sick and pray for people to be healed. When Mark 16 talks about people being healed after having hands laid on them, it doesn’t always mean they’ll be healed instantly. Sometimes it happens right away, but most of the time I would say it happens over time. However, I have heard so many testimonies where people receive healing hours, days, even months later. God is always faithful to complete the work He started (Phil. 1:6).

I Don’t Want To Be The One Who’s Missing

Lord, I see all of these Father’s Day posts, while I’m thankful for being honored. The thing that bothers me is the number of people who’s father has passed and they are sore lamenting the loss of their father and missing him everyday. I don’t want that. I don’t want to be the one who is missing. I don’t want my kids to lament me not being there. Give me wisdom God. I want to affect their lives in a positive way, I want them to be thankful, but I do not want them to miss me everyday.

Many words, meant to be said, were unspoken. Many hearts that needed to be known were left closed. Many that needed a touch from their father were left alone. Son, you have spoken into their lives. You have ministered my love. You have done well Son.

While you can’t control how you will be remembered, you can influence it.

Keep loving Son.

Keep listening.

Keep empowering them towards confidence and accomplishment.

Keep directing their hearts to love others.

That outward focus will leave them satisfied at your departure.

Son, I’m with you.

We have much loving to do.

Let us work while we have the light.

Move forward in me son, without shame and without apology.

Impact this world with my love and my wisdom.

That is your commission.

Today Was THAT Day

Well you never expect it to come. You know it will but you don’t know when. Will it feel different? When the day dawns on THAT day – will you know it? How do you prepare yourself? How do you make yourself ready for THAT day?

It’s 10:08PM right now. My Mom died this morning at 11AM. So it hasn’t been a full 12 hours yet. But today was THAT day.

I just turned 53 a few weeks ago. We came to have dinner with my Mom the day after Mother’s Day. Just two weeks ago. What a great time. Well, if you knew her, you’d know what I mean. With her you were always welcome, accepted and respected. She could talk to anybody and ask you the best questions. She was easy to talk to. Loving and accepting. She didn’t need to do all the talking, she loved to listen, that’s what made her a great conversationalist. So out to dinner at her favorite place. She had the stuffed pepper. I hate stuffed peppers. But she enjoyed hers. Nancy & I sat on either side of her at the booth.

We loved Teresa.

Later when we took her home she told us straight: “I’m ready to go!” We knew what she meant and we had heard some similar conversations before but she looked in good health. She was up walking around seemed to be doing fine. But when we said our goodbyes I had that feeling; that feeling you want to reject as insignificant or not valid; I had that feeling that this was it, this was my last time to see her. God was warning me. I didn’t want to acknowledge it. I wanted that impression to be wrong.

But we got the text last week: she broke her hip. Surgery planned, should be no problem. Surgery successful but got to keep her asleep an extra day, had a blood clot. Got to thin the blood a bit, easier to do when she’s sleeping. Today, text: turn for the worse, infection they can’t control, kidneys shut down, only ventilator keeping her going. 11am email: She’s gone.

My first response: you may think crazy, but I was elated! She’s walking the streets of Gold. She gets a hug from Jesus! God answered her prayer. We found out later she had prayed right before surgery, “Lord, take me now.” God had answered her prayer.

She was faithful. She showed up, got to work and kept on going.

I remember one time my older brother, Michael had run away from home. He got to the end of the street, she confronted him: “You’re not getting out of this! We’re going through this together.”

She showed up, got to work and kept on going.

That’s why at 87 she has over 80 descendants, some impacting the world very powerfully.

She didn’t quit.

She finished her race.

I’m having quite a proud moment for her right now. I love my Mom. I’m very proud of her.

Well done Teresa! Well done.

Your loving Son, Joseph 10th of 14.

Living Free From The Fear Of Death

A FEW WEEKS AGO I SPOKE AT CHURCH ABOUT LIVING WITHOUT FEAR OF DEATH. I THOUGHT I WOULD UNFOLD A FEW THOUGHTS FOR YOU HERE THAT MIGHT HELP:

I GAVE MY LIFE TO JESUS CHRIST WHEN I WAS 11 YEARS OLD, I GOT FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AT AGE 13, BUT BECAUSE OF BAD THEOLOGY AND LACK OF TEACHING THERE WAS A VOID IN MY LIFE. YOU SEE I HAD A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD. I PRAYED REGULARLY, GOT INTO THE WORD NOT AS REGULAR, WENT TO CHURCH AS MUCH AS I COULD, I WAS FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT AND HAD WONDERFUL THINGS HAPPENING IN MY LIFE, EVEN HEARING THE VOICE OF GOD ON OCCASION AND ALSO AS I JOURNALED,  BUT I KNEW NOTHING OF ANY ETERNAL ASSURANCE. I DIDN’T KNOW WHERE I WAS GOING WHEN I DIED. WHEN I WAS 19 I BEGAN TO HEAR THE WORD PREACHED ON A REGULAR BASIS. IN MY OLD CHURCH THEY WOULD READ THE SCRIPTURES BUT NO ONE HAD ANY REAL UNDERSTANDING OF THEM. AT THE NEW CHURCH THERE WAS TEACHING COMING FROM THE PULPIT THAT REALLY MADE ME COME ALIVE. I FOUND OUT THAT FOR A CHRISTIAN, A CHILD OF GOD, HEAVEN IS PROMISED. ITS NOT A ‘WAIT AND SEE’ PROPOSITION. I WAS ASTOUNDED, REALLY AMAZED; NOT ONLY DID I GET THIS GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, BUT I GOT TO GO TO HEAVEN TOO.

KNOWING WHERE YOU’RE GOING

ONCE YOU KNOW YOUR ETERNAL DESTINATION, YOU’RE NOT JUST HOPING NOW, BUT THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS TAUGHT IT TO YOU INTERNALLY THEN YOU COME INTO A PLACE WHERE A BASE FEAR, A PRIMORDIAL FEAR CAN BE RELEASED. THE FEAR OF DEATH IS A HAUNTING THING. BUT WHEN YOU KNOW WHAT’S ON THE OTHER SIDE OF DEATH’S DOOR THEN IT DOESN’T LOOK SO DAUNTING.

NOW SELF-PRESERVATION IS A BASE INSTINCT. WE HAVE A NATURAL, BUILT-IN TENDENCY TO DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO STAY ALIVE. THIS IS GOOD AND WONDERFUL. BUT THE FEAR OF DEATH GIVES PLACE TO SOME RATIONAL FEARS AND SOME IRRATIONAL.

WHY SO AFRAID?

MOST PEOPLE ONLY KNOW WHAT THEY CAN SEE WITH THEIR PHYSICAL EYES. HEAVEN IS NOT A REALITY TO THEM SO THEY MUST HANG ON TO THE ONLY REALITY THEY KNOW. DEATH IS A DOOR WAY THAT LEADS TO ETERNITY. OBVIOUSLY ITS A PRETTY BIG QUESTION: DID YOU GET YOUR ETERNAL ACCOMMODATIONS WORKED OUT? IF YOU DIDN’T THERE IS A DEFAULT BUT ITS NOT HEAVEN. IF YOU HAVEN’T CHOSEN JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOUR AND GIVEN THE LORDSHIP OF YOUR LIFE OVER TO HIM THEN I RECOMMEND YOU DO. IF YOU HAVEN’T, YOU HAVE GREAT REASON TO FEAR DEATH, BECAUSE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF DEATH’S DOOR IS ETERNAL JUDGMENT. BUT IF YOU’VE GOT THIS ETERNITY QUESTION WORKED OUT THEN DEATH SHOULD BE AVOIDED BUT NOT FEARED.