Why Your Creditors Prosper

Have you ever wondered why your creditors seem to prosper, and you struggle? Here's a probable reason:

Matt 5:23,24 "Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift."

The word for brother is a word used for "having the same national ancestor, belonging to the same people, or countryman".

"Something against you" can also mean a debt. So if you owe someone a debt, you should reconcile first, at the very least settle how you can pay off your debt, begin a payment plan that will satisfy your creditor.

Think of it this way, especially of you sit in a church that teaches the "prosperity gospel". If you give to your church, and you owe a debt, you are giving your creditors money to that church, or organization. It is your creditor that becomes blessed, not you when you give that way.

You won't hear this from most pulpits, because they only want money, they aren't that interested in your well being. Do as Jesus said, reconcile with those you owe, step up to your debt. Remember, this doesn't mean that you have to pay 100% first, but at least make a plan that your creditor can live - and be happy with.

Thought while walking the dogs in my neighborhood: What if everyone who calls him/herself a Christian ( the kind that enjoys His presence) would ask God to "fill this place with Your Presence and Glory" while walking, driving outdoors through their neighborhood, their community, their city, their county? Seriously asking God to fill the places we live, NOT JUST THE PLACE WE WORSHIP! What if? What if we were to seek His presence their in the middle of the street like we do in the middle of the church sanctuary? What if He listened, and came, and the atmosphere of our towns, communities, work places changed like the church does when He comes? What if, as if it were possible, we were to live our lives seeking His abiding presence wherever we are, whatever we do? At the very least it would change us, at the most, "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done" right here, right now, right where we are!

*Shhh* if you do this, don't let your religious leaders know, they would want to organize it and take over, just let God be in charge .....

Religion vs Kingdom

Religion wants us to go to heaven; Kingdom brings Heaven to earth.
Religion focuses on individual; Kingdom focuses on Nations.
Religion says to keep yourself "good enough" to make it to Heaven; Kingdom says transform your society, bring the culture of Heaven to it.
Religion focuses on what you don't have; Kingdom focuses on the King, He has it all.
Religion tells you to pray for "Mannah"; Kingdom tells you to take the Promise Land!
Religion says you can't do it, you have to wait for Christ to return, die in the wilderness or expect a rapture; Kingdom says you can take the promise land, the giants there are bread for you, if you show up, the King will fight for you, don't expect daily drops from heaven, expect milk and honey, grapes too big for one person, expect to win every battle, you cannot loose if you accept the challenge!
Religion delights in the disasters of the world, mistakenly believing its a "sign" of Christ's return: Kingdom says the disasters are a place for the Son's of God to reveal themselves, an opportunity to display the power and grace of the Father, darkness cannot exist where Light is! (Paul says that all creation groans awaiting for the Sons to be revealed!)
Conclusion, ditch religion, take up the message of Jesus, His Kingdom is at your fingertips! Seek FIRST His Kingdom, and His Righteousness (right-standing, agreeing with Him, cooperating with Him) and everything you need will be added to you!

God's Kingdom - Inflicting Violence!

Mat 11:12 "And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. " 

The word used here for "suffers violence" means
1) to use force, to apply force,
2) to force, inflict violence on. 

The Kingdom of God is inflicting violence by force on the kingdom of this world! You may be part of it, if you choose to believe! The Kingdom works through you to the point that you understand and believe. That's why Jesus said in Matthew 6:33 to seek the Kingdom of God - and right standing with Him - and you'll see and experience amazing things!

Remember, the currency of the Kingdom  is faith, faith in God, and belief that He will do what He says He will do. Increase your knowledge of the Kingdom, discover what God is doing and intends to do on this planet he has given us to manage, come into agreement and cooperation with what He is doing! 

No matter what the enemy has told you, God's Kingdom is powerful, and advancing! If your place of worship isn't providing information on His Kingdom or helping you to discover what your place in it is, then search! Spend time with the King, and He'll lead you to the right sources as He did for me!

Matthew 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you"
Matthew 6:10 "Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as [it is] in heaven."

8 Core values about the End-Times - Borrowed from Kris Vallotton

Kris Vallotton’s 8 Core Values Regarding Eschatology or
“the End-Times”
1. I will not embrace an end-time world view that re-empowers a dis-empowered devil.
2. I will not embrace an eschatology that takes away my children’s future and creates mind-sets that undermine the mentality of leaving a legacy or an inheritance or my kid’s future. I intend to leave my children a world in revival.
3. I will not tolerate a theology that sabotages the clear command of Jesus to make disciples of all nations and the Lord’s Prayer that the earth would look like heaven. Why is it that just the bad things have to be fulfilled? What about the amazingly good things?
4. I will not allow an interpretation of the scriptures that undermines hope for the nations and for the restoration of ruined cities.
5. I will not allow an eschatology that changes the nature of a good God.
6. I refuse to accept any mind-set that celebrates bad news as a sign of the times and a necessary requirement for the return of Jesus Christ.
7. I am opposed to any doctrinal position that pushes the promises of God into a time-zone that cannot be attained in my life or generation and therefore takes away any responsibility I have to believe God for them in my life-time.
8. I don’t believe that the last days are a time of judgment nor do I believe that God gave the church the right to call for wrath on sinful cities or nations. There is a Day of Judgment that God alone has the right to pass any judgment…but even that is a DAY …not days.

The Ultimate Life!

Today's thought: You know how many religious people pray "More of You God, and less of me"? I used to pray that myself. The closer I get to Him, the more I realize His intentions are "More of You, God, optimize me!" The dreams, goals and desires of our hearts, if they are not destructive, probably came from Him, since He is Creator! Jesus said "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have [it] more abundantly." (John 10:10) My translations says "I have come to give you life - OPTIMIZED!"

God's Incredible Love!

For the past few months, Papa has been leading me to discover His incredible love for us, His Children! Let me share a verse with you that He has led me to time and again!

Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Another word for "demonstrates" is "illustrates". Our Father has illustrated His love, as an illustrated sermon toward us! "While we were yet sinners", what do sinners do? They sin! So, while we were sinning, because that is what sinners do, Christ died for us! What does that mean? His death was to reconcile us to the Father! Reconcile means to reconnect in such a way as if nothing happened to separate us!

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:19 "that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation." That means He forgave us our sins, and gave us the job of spreading the word that they are forgiven!

Look at it this way. In the beginning, God created us to have a relationship with Him. Adam's sin, and ours, separates us from Him. But He loves us so much, as John 3:16 says, He gave His one and only Son! Ok, so think about this! He decided not to scrap us, throw us away, destroy us, but instead, He did as much as possible, gave His VERY best to remove everything that stands in the way of us having a relationship with Him!

Here's another set of verses: Romans 8:35 "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? [Shall] tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?"
Romans 8:38, "For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

There is one thing that can separate us from His love. That would be our decision to be separated. That is the only thing!

So, decide for yourself, be separated from Him who created you? Or be re-connected? Do you think you are already connected? Please think about it! If anything keeps you from Him, you are not connected!

2 Corinthians 5:20 "Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore [you] on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God!"