The Mechanism of a Vow

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A few weeks ago I was jumping on our trampoline with the grandgirls, when one of them, playing make-believe, announced that she was vowing something. I couldn’t even tell you what it was, nor what pretend game she was playing, but I immediately stopped her, then explained to all of them that they are never to make vows under any circumstances. This is uncommon, and unpopular, but I find it very important, and very scriptural. Most people make vows when they get married—my wife and I did not. If people understood vows, I believe they wouldn’t make them, ever, and believe the reason most people do is because they don’t understand the mechanism of a vow.

To explore this subject we need to look at what a vow is, what it does, and why we shouldn’t make them.

What is a Vow?

A vow is a promise that carries spiritual weight behind it. It is best understood as a legal contract that requires payment. Vows are agreements to perform some kind of action, and the payment is the action that the vow states one will do.

Numbers 30:2 says, “If a man makes a vow to the LORD, or takes an oath to bind himself with a binding obligation, he shall not violate his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.”

A vow is a binding obligation that requires one to do everything that he or she has stated in the vow, as it says above. Some other verses related to paying vows are as follows:

Psalm 50:14 “Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving and pay your vows to the Most High;”

Psalm 66:13 “I shall come into Your house with burnt offerings; I shall pay You my vows . . .”

Proverbs 7:14 “I was due to offer peace offerings; Today I have paid my vows.”

What Does A Vow do?

Because a vow is a legal agreement, it carries weight of authority behind it. If the vow is fulfilled, the person is released from it. If not, they reap the consequences of failing to fulfill the terms of the contract.

For this reason Deuteronomy 23:21-23 says, “When you make a vow to the LORD your God, you shall not delay to pay it, for it would be sin in you, and the LORD your God will surely require it of you. However, if you refrain from vowing, it would not be sin in you. You shall be careful to perform what goes out from your lips, just as you have voluntarily vowed to the LORD your God, what you have promised.”

It is important to follow through and keep the vows we make, as they are legally binding in the spirit realm and the laws of the universe are designed to enforce the vows we make. A vow essentially creates a covenant between you and the cosmos, and the spiritual laws of the universe expect you to fulfill that which you have vowed. It is a bit like how nature abhors a vacuum—a vow is a bit like creating a vacuum, and nature expects you to fill it.

Why We Shouldn’t Make Vows

Jesus was very clear when he spoke about vows, as was James.

Matthew 5:33-37 says, “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”

James 5:12 says, “Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.”

The reason James exhorts people not to make vows is that when you fail to fulfill the vow, you bring yourself under condemnation because you have broken a spiritual agreement. Jesus explained that we are not to swear oaths or vows for any reason because we don’t have control over making anything happen no matter how hard we try. Thus, if we say something we should simply make an effort to keep our word without creating spiritually binding legal contracts. If we do, we are playing into the plans of the enemy, as they will attempt to prevent us from fulfilling the terms, placing us under condemnation and giving them an easy ability to attack us.

There are some other passages that give us wisdom in regards to vow-making, or rather not making them at all.
Ecclesiastes 5:4-5 says, When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it.

Proverbs 20:25 – It is a trap for a man to say rashly, “It is holy!” And after the vows to make inquiry.

Malachi 1:14 “But cursed be the swindler who has a male in his flock and vows it, but sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord, for I am a great King,” says the LORD of hosts, “and My name is feared among the nations.”

These three verses show us that
1) it is better to not make a vow than to make it and fail it
2) It is foolish to make vows without knowing what you are getting into in advance
3) if you don’t follow through with your vow, you come under a curse.

Conclusion

When we understand that vows are a spiritual contract that legally binds us to either complete the vow or suffer under a curse which opens doors for the enemy to attack us via sin (the sin of breaking the vow), we will understand that making vows is foolishness. The mechanism of a vow is incredibly important. Consider the negative effects that can occur in one’s marriage if you make a vow that you end up breaking somewhere down the line. Will the judgments that the cosmos sends your way due to your actions help or hurt your marriage? How is making that vow actually going to help you be a good spouse if those things aren’t inside your heart already—and if they are inside your heart anyway, do you really need to make a vow?

Jesus and James both instructed people not to make vows for a reason. The simple solution is to not make them, no matter what tradition tells us we should do whether at a wedding or in any other situation. We must become people of integrity who are known for keeping our word. This is evidence of the fruit of the Spirit at work in our lives, and is our responsibility as sons and daughters of God.

How How To Get Free From Past Vows

Most people have already made vows sometime in the past, whether a “pledge” to a group or organization, even harmless ones like the Boy Scouts, or even to a nation. While personally I support my country, I don’t believe in pledges because they are simply a vow by another name. If you have already made vows and want to get free, it is usually fairly simple, and can be done in four easy steps through prayer.

1. Acknowledge that you made a vow

2. State that you repent (which means to change your thinking) from doing so.

3. Break agreement with the vow

4. Decree that the blood of Jesus makes it null and void and releases you from it.

In some cases, such as with Freemasonry, you may feel led by the Spirit to do more specific and in-depth prayer, but in most cases the above four steps should suffice. As with all things, pray as you feel led by God in the moment, and pay attention to other prompts you may feel such as praying over an article of clothing related to that group, or even destroying documents you may have signed your name to in a pledge. (Please note this does not apply to legal documents such as wills, mortgages, and such. I am only referring to those pledges and vows that are to groups and organizations, not legal agreements which are the equivalent of you putting your “yes” down on paper, and which you will need at a later date.)

You might pray this prayer or something similar:

Heavenly Father, I acknowledge that I have made vows to (the group or person you vowed) saying (state the actual promises you made if you can remember. If not, skip this part). I repent for making them, and choose according to your Word to no longer make vows, and let my “yes” stand alone. I break agreement and come out of alignment with those vows, and apply the blood of Jesus to cover and protect me. I decree that the blood of Jesus has already paid every penalty for breaking these vows, and I thank you Jesus for your shed blood that sets me free from every mistake. I receive the forgiveness and freedom that comes from you right now. Amen.

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Financial Independence and Goal Setting

I have decided that this year I want to work toward financial independence. While that might not seem significant to some, it simply hasn’t been a goal in the forefront of my mind in the past few years. Sure, everyone wants some level of financial independence, but if I am not consciously working toward it, how likely am I to reach my goal? My wife and I recently sat down and over a few different sessions we planned out our major goals and projects for our business this next year, as well as made a ten-year plan for where we want to see our business, and ultimately our lives, grow toward.

For some it can be difficult to envision what life will be like in ten years, so I decided to start with a sort of blue-sky of what I would like life to look like in general. I decided that ten years is a reasonable amount of time to accomplish almost any goal, so simply put my desired future at the ten-year mark. What we then did was work from there, deciding what changes we would need to make this coming year to work toward that goal, and then project from there, in general terms, what milestones we would need to reach by the end of next year and again at the 3-year and 5-year marks.

One of the major areas of weakness for me is investing. Toward that end, my wife and I recently sat down with a friend who works in the financial industry. He has been suggesting for a while that we ought to start investing financially in our future through the various investment markets–something I have been loath to do until now for a combination of market concerns, student loan and other debts to pay off, and just a lack of understanding of the value of what investments can do for me. Sure, I get the general concept, but it has always felt so intangible as to be nearly irrelevant to my current life.

Well, we finally sat down with him and I learned a few things–all of which bode well for our future. First, my concerns about holding off on investing until I “have it all together” is probably a bad idea, as I can open up an account with as little as $50. Second, I realized that the biggest hurdle for me is actually starting the process, not the saving itself. Thus, we are moving ahead with setting up some accounts (If you find a similar need in your own life, connect with Daniel here to discuss how he can help you the same as he has helped us).

Next, I am working toward actively expanding our brand. Sometime later this year we will expand from books and blogs on spirituality to include health-related blogs and products. I am excited at the new opportunities this will provide to reach people and transform lives, including our own. We plan to start with essential oils and Q-links, a product designed to help balance the body, but hope to move to other beneficial products in the future. I have also come up with some health-related book ideas that we will work on in the future as well. All of this will take effort, but that’s the key part of our 10-year plan–we have a vision of where we are headed, and are now taking active steps to get there.

While this may not seem like an extremely “spiritual” blog post, I believe that financial freedom is very spiritual. God is interested in freedom–after all, Jesus set us free just so we could be free (Galatians 5:1). I believe that this year will open up new opportunities, not just for us, but for you too if you are willing to step out and take some risks. I have talked with so many people this past year who are looking for new ways to make money, get out of debt, and many of them who want to try their hand at writing. This is just one of the many myriads of ways that God can use to bless you. I encourage you to take some time and list out your own ten-year plan.

Start by writing down all your dreams–there is no dream too big or too small. Write them all down! After you do that, organize them in a general order of when you want to accomplish them. Once you do that, start looking at the practical steps you need to take in the natural to get moving forward, look at the resources you need, and start praying over your plans. Pray in the resources and connections you need. Pray for wisdom and insight to accomplish your goals, and then get started! It is never too early nor too late to realize your dreams. For me, when I was 14 I had decided that I wanted to publish a book by the time I was 40–and I have put out 4 by the time I turned 33! I have decided that in the next ten years I want to be a millionaire–and not because I love money, but because I value financial independence and what it allows me to accomplish in my life. Your goals and dreams can be accomplished–sometimes you just need a plan, and that plan will only come together if you put it together! As the new year approaches and the old year fades, I encourage you to take some time to put a plan in place. Don’t just write resolutions–form strategies, join groups doing the same, and execute!

If you are looking to join with like-minded people who are forging ahead in their own life, there are many social media groups out there to help. Some of the ones I recommend on Facebook are:

For authors and writers, join The Time is Write and Just Write
For business owners, consider Dream Ventures

There are thousands of groups out there–you just need to find the ones that are right for you. Get connected and get moving, and have a blessed 2017!

Additionally, if you are looking to get started with a website and need web hosting, consider using my affiliate link to Siteground.

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5 Myths about Spirit Travel

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Traveling in the Spirit is a gift or ability that has gradually become more widely known in the past decade in Charismatic-leaning circles. For those who are unfamiliar, it involves engaging the spiritual realms by way of one’s soul or spirit. In spite of the many advances we have made in this area, there is still significant controversy over this subject. Many still have concerns, ranging from notions of witchcraft and deception to it simply being a worthless and/or unhelpful practice. The more I engage this subject in conversation with others, the more I discover just how many misconceptions are still out there, some of which still take me by surprise. I will cover some of the most basic myths here, but if you want to learn more, check out my book The Beginner’s Guide to Traveling in the Spirit.

1) It’s not in the Bible

Spirit Travel is found in multiples of places in Scripture and has been performed, sometimes regularly, by multiple well-known Biblical figures, including Elisha the Prophet (2 Kings 5:22-26), Paul the Apostle (1 Corinthians 5:3, Colossians 2:5), and John the Revelator (Revelation 1:10). In fact, based on some of Jesus’ encounters, such as those with Nathaniel under the fig tree (John 1:48) and the disciples struggling on the lake (Mark 6:47-48), it is highly probable he also engaged in spirit travel. Ephesians 1:3 states that we have received blessings in heavenly places, and Ephesians 2:6 states that we are already seated in the heavens, proving we have the right of access to travel in the spirit.

2) It is an occult practice

Spirit Travel is neither occult nor Christian, per se. It is an innate ability God has put within all humans at creation. The mechanism by which one spirit travels is basically the same regardless of whether one is a believer or not, but the actual means by which one does this differs somewhat. What most people confuse traveling in the spirit with is the occult practice of astral projection. There are some obvious similarities between Christian spirit travel and occult astral projection, but likewise there are equally clear differences, the main differences being that spirit travel can be done while awake and not in a trance, and does not require the use or maintenance of a silver cord, a spiritual “lifeline” tether to the physical body that is present in all occult astral projection.

3) It will lead you away from God

Theoretically, anything can lead you away from God. Marriage can lead one away, kids, work, even ministry, provided one gets busy enough that he or she loses sight of priorities. Spirit travel in and of itself is incapable of leading one astray any more than anything else. If one were to simplify it to its most simple form, it could be considered a form of prayer, and prayer rarely leads one away from God; on the contrary, it usually helps draw one closer to Him. This is a straw-man argument, and its ability to lead astray has nothing to do with the practice itself, and everything to do with the heart condition of the one doing it.

4) Jesus never did it, so I don’t need to either.

As mentioned in Myth 1, it is quite probable that Jesus actually did travel in the spirit. While the verses that describe his spiritual activity are somewhat inconclusive, the information he gleaned, and the way the passages are written, seems very much as though he witnessed the events as compared to simply getting a word of knowledge about them. If the plumbline and/or deciding factor for someone is whether Jesus did it or not, then spirit travel certainly cannot be ruled out as a Godly spiritual practice.

5) If you practice spirit travel, you will get deceived.

This practice carries no guarantee of deception any more than any other spiritual practice. While some might argue that it puts one more “out on a limb” than other spiritual disciplines, it is possible to become steeped in deceptive beliefs simply by studying scripture. In fact, entire cults have formed around someone who found a scripture they ran away with into gross error.
Even more to the point, what makes us think we are not already walking in deception? The scary thing about deception is that we cannot recognize it while we are inside it, and typically must be pulled out by an external force, which usually is the Holy Spirit. We have to remember that God’s ability to keep us is always greater than the enemy’s ability to deceive us, and because He is our Counselor and Guide, we can trust Him to faithfully do just that. On the other hand, walking out spirit travel encounters with discernment is a must, but then, what makes us think we shouldn’t walk out all of life the same way?

In closing, we must remember that traveling in the spirit is no different than any other spiritual discipline. As we do it, we are to engage God in the process, walk with wisdom and discernment, and we will invariably see the fruit as we do so. When we fail to rightly discern, leave God out of the process, or are foolish as we proceed, those are the situations where we are most likely to run into problems, but the same is true of most situations in life. Traveling in the spirit is a means of prayer by which we can literally ascend into the heavens and engage the spiritual realms from there. After all, the Scriptures do already say in Ephesians 2:6 that, “God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus . . .” Spirit travel is simply the experience of being where the scriptures already say that we are.

If you want to learn more about this practice, pick up a copy of my book The Beginner’s Guide to Traveling in the Spirit.

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Stone The False Prophet Among You

Okay, so the title isn’t part of an actual Bible verse, but it very well could be. In Deuteronomy 13 it says that if a prophet or dreamer among the people attempts to lead people away from the God of Israel, that he or she must be purged from the people. A bit later, Deuteronomy 18:17-22 says it in a bit more detail, saying:

The Lord said to me: “What they say is good. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him. I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name. But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, is to be put to death.” You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?” If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously, so do not be alarmed.”

God calls some people to be prophets, and if someone says something is from God and doesn’t happen, then clearly it isn’t from God. If they tell people things God didn’t command them to say, or if they are a prophet for a different god, then they need to be killed. And how do we know if a prophet says something God didn’t command? Obviously, if it didn’t happen, God didn’t command it.

Here’s the problem: What about all those times that God tells a prophet to say something and then people repent and/or pray against it because the prophet sent a warning from heaven, and then it doesn’t happen? Does that make him a false prophet? I mean, what we are saying here is that Jonah, who is clearly understood by the Scriptures to be a prophet sent from God, is actually a false prophet according to Deuteronomy 18 because the destruction he prophesied over Nineveh never came to pass. While we don’t know exactly what God told him to say, we do know that all of Nineveh repented in fasting and prayer when they heard the message Jonah gave them, and God was pleased with their change of heart. So how can Jonah be both a prophet and a false prophet all at once?

He can’t.

Which means that the Bible broke the Bible’s false-prophet detector test.

Now what??

First, I suggest we need to differentiate between a few similar-appearing people: the false prophet, the young prophet, and the effective prophet.

The false prophet’s motive is deception. The goal is to lead astray. If one prophesies with an intent to lead astray and/or with wrong motives, this is a good sign one is a false prophet. These prophecies are likely to be false, but it is equally possible some of the prophecies could come true—just enough to lead people successfully astray.

The young prophet’s motive is typically at least mostly-pure, and he or she wants to encourage people in the Lord. Mind you, we call this individual a “young prophet” irrespective of linear age because this isn’t based on age, but experience—this prophet simply isn’t very good at it. Well, at the very least his or her accuracy has something to be desired. I suggest he isn’t a false prophet because his motives are pure and he has not intent to lead people astray, but he does have some growing to do. Thus, his prophecies might come to pass and might not—it’s entirely hit or miss depending on how accurate that particular word was when he received it, which makes things tough because how on earth is someone else to know if he received it accurately? That’s the tricky part, and why we each have to discern prophetic words.

The effective prophet is a different breed entirely. His words might come to pass and they might not—but when they don’t come to pass, it is for an entirely different reason than because he is false or young. No, if the effective prophet’s word doesn’t come to pass, it’s because he was, well, effective. Think about it. Many prophecies are encouraging, directive for the future, comforting, and more. Some words are warning words though, giving us insight on a need to turn away from a current course of action. If people turn away from a current course of action and the negative consequence in the warning does not occur, the prophet wasn’t false—he or she effectively incited the people to pray and act, and a crisis was averted!

I recall years ago I was at a church and each member of our intercessory group received a similar prophetic warning about a building project. We shared these words with one of the board members who was the head of the intercessory group at the time, and she told the senior pastor about it. The multiple prophetic warnings were disregarded, and years later the words did indeed come to pass. An effective prophet’s goal, at least when it comes to warning words, is to appear wrong each and every time! After all, while his reputation might be put into question by some, those with wisdom and insight will realize that instead of the prophecy being false, a calamity was averted.

This sort of thing often happens when prophetic warnings have dates attached. If a date comes and goes it can be one of a few different things: It can be that the word was false to begin with, or the date was wrong. Or it could be that prayer was effectively mobilized through the release of the word and the outcome changed. The difficult part is that we in the Church are often so quick to judge one another based on appearances that we have to take a step back and discern from the Lord what actually took place. After all, it would be silly to tell someone he was wrong if in fact he was not only spot-on, but the reason he appears to be wrong is because of how incredibly accurate he was AND how effective he was at it!

Some people believe we need to start holding false prophets accountable in the church, and while it sounds really good on paper, it really makes no sense. Look, a false prophet isn’t interested in accountability. He doesn’t really care if you tell him he is wrong or deceived or whatever other potentially accurate label you might give him. His motives are impure and his heart is in the wrong place to begin with. Do you really think telling him as much is going to positively influence the situation? Not likely. On the other hand, if mature prophets decide to take a more active and discipling role with young prophets, it is quite probable they can pass some of their wisdom and maturity on.

After all, how do false prophets become false prophets anyway? I suggest part of it is through rejection by the church. After a while, the inner wounding leaves just the right opening for the enemy, and through pride, envy, and other negative emotions the demonic are able to begin a long process of twisting and perverting the prophetic gift, turning a young prophet into a false one.

Maybe the problem isn’t so much that we don’t hold false prophets accountable, but that we don’t encourage young prophets to be disciple-able. Or worse yet, maybe we don’t expect or encourage effective prophets to do any discipling. After all, one can want discipleship all day long, but you can only follow when someone else is leading. Maybe the problem isn’t even false prophets, but a system that values the prophetic gift more than it values the person who carries that gift. Most likely it is a combination of all of these, together with the schemes of the enemy and the wounded hearts of men. However, I believe if we aim to do things a little better on our end we won’t have to worry so much about stoning the false prophets among us—I imagine that deep down they don’t really want to be that way either, but need help finding their way back home.

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Authority As Sons

The Bible speaks about authority in a number of places, but it begins with our position. The reason we have the right to wield God’s authority is our Sonship (Romans 8:16)—not just as ones who have been adopted in, but legitimate children, made so by Jesus Christ. When Paul spoke to the Romans about adoption, he knew they understood the permanent and irreversibly binding rights and authority a child received when he or she was adopted, but when he wrote to the Jews he was not speaking about adopted children, but rather that we are born from above and are new creations with God’s DNA within us. Jesus spoke the same to Nicodemus, saying he must be re-born from above (John 3:5-8). As legitimate children, we have all of the rights and responsibilities of God’s heirs; we are heirs alongside Jesus (Romans 8:17; Galatians 4:7).

To understand what this means influences both how we use authority and how we live in general, so we need to grasp what the Bible says about sonship with God. Galatians 4:1-2 explains it like this, “What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave although he owns the whole estate. The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father.” In other words as God’s children, we have to have others watch over us—and not just other believers, but Holy Spirit and even the angels to help us grow into maturity. In the same way that we wouldn’t let a three year old have full reign of the house, likewise God doesn’t necessarily give us everything without some limitations early on. This isn’t to keep us from things, but to safeguard us until we mature.

This idea holds true when studied out in the scriptures. The New Testament uses a few different words that usually translate as “child”—the words nepios, teknon, and huios. A nepios son is basically an infant or young child and needs constant supervision. A teknon child is like those mentioned in Galatians 4:1-2 above—one who still needs an authority figure to watch over him and help him with daily affairs, but who is no longer a baby. A huios son (or daughter) has become a mature member of his household and is able to wield the full authority he possesses as an heir.

To understand our authority and role as believers we need to know the difference between nepios, teknon, and huios sons. Not all the verses in the Bible that refer to sonship and being children of God can be read the same way. 1 Corinthians 13:11 says, “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.” The word child here refers to a nepios son—one who is literally a baby and is extremely childish in his ways. Romans 8:16-17 says that we are teknon sons of God, who are older but still need assistance. The verses state, “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” The point I believe Paul was making here was that as immature sons and daughters of God that we are still heirs—not having yet inherited the fullness, but that Holy Spirit resides within us and marks us with God’s seal, designating us as His children for all time and allowing us the legal right to inherit the fullness He has planned for us. This is as differentiated from a huios son, which Paul mentions only two verses prior. Romans 8:14 says, “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” The word children here is better translated as mature children or mature sons/daughters of God. Even Jesus, when it states that he is God’s only begotten son (John 1:18, 3:16, 3:18; 1 John 4:9), is referred to as a huios son.

Those huios sons and daughters, led by God’s Spirit, are brought into maturity and are able to wield their authority as heirs of God’s estate, and His estate extends beyond the earth into the entire cosmos, even the heavens. (Faith To Raise The Dead, pp 81-83)

The above text is an excerpt from my book Faith To Raise The Dead. I hope it has encouraged and brought clarity to you regarding our authority as God’s children. To learn more, click on the link above or the image below.

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The Conditional Nature of Prophecy

I enjoy prophecy. Whenever I prophesy over someone it gives me the opportunity to get a glimpse of how God sees him or her, and it has the ability to shift my perspective toward him or her as well. While it has other uses, including foretelling of things to come, most prophecy is geared toward encouraging people to continue moving forward in life, strengthening them for tasks ahead, and comforting them, as seen in 1 Corinthians 14:3. Many times we might will receive a prophetic word that tells us of the great plans God has for our future, but five, ten, or even twenty years later we find ourselves wondering what happened–why did that prophecy never come to pass? Certainly it is possible someone was incorrect when they spoke, but that is not the only option. I suggest something that is less understood is the conditional nature of prophesy.

I remember a message I heard a speaker share once. I forget who the speaker was, but I do recall he had a reputation as a prophet. He told a story of when he met with a couple who were trying to have a baby and were having difficulty. I don’t even think that was the reason for his meeting, but the Lord spoke to him and instructed the prophet to tell them they were going to have a baby. He began an internal dialogue with the Lord, basically arguing that he didn’t want to say it knowing the trouble they were already having, and not wanting to give them any false hope or encouragement. What the Lord responded back was, “If you don’t say it, it will not happen.”

The term self-fulfilling prophesy is in some ways redundant because the whole reason it even works is because the prophetic utterance carries power with it to accomplish the thing prophesied. When God told that prophet the word was conditional based on whether he said it or not, that is because prophecies carry power and are conditional. If we never release the word to begin with, no power is sent out to make it happen. However, even if we do give the word, there is still no guarantee it will come to pass. Why is this?

We have to remember that we are in a spiritual battle with forces of darkness who oppose us. If prophecy was a guaranteed once-and-done thing, we would simply prophesy everything into existence, once, instead of having to pray over things time and again. The devil and his minions are in the business of destruction, and whenever they can stop God’s will from coming to pass in our lives, they will. This is one of the main reasons we have to pray–and not just pray, but persevere in prayer until the things God has said to us come to pass. So much goes on in the unseen realm that we have to push forward in prayer until we see the answer manifest.

When I hear God tell or show me something, it is not a guarantee that it will come to pass. It is actually an invitation to experience an optional reality, and I have a part to play in whether that reality occurs or not. I like to think of it from a perspective where I imagine my decisions on a timeline as being like a road or path. Imagine that as we walk, every time we come to a fork in the road there are a billion choices of which path to take. On the majority of these paths, things will be largely the same—gravity will still be in effect, the sun will still rise and fall, and we will still have to pay taxes. Some of the things that change, however, are ones that can be decided by prayer and prophesy. If all we do is hear a prophetic word once, the power from that prophetic word will cause some of those roads to blink out of existence—negative outcomes that were prevented through the utterance. However, there are still the greater part of a billion paths left to take, so how do we know which ones will get us to the desired result?

If we stopped at that single prophecy, there really is no guarantee. If we pray into that reality, however, more and more of those paths that won’t bring us the desired result blink out, until all the road that are left are guaranteed to give us that which we seek. Eventually, it doesn’t matter which road we take because all of them are the right one.

Did you ever think about why there are so many prophecies about the coming of the Messiah? I think it was due to the conditional nature of prophecy–if God simply said it once, there is no guarantee it would happen, but as the timeline continued forward He spoke again and again throughout the ages to constantly shift the events that needed to be changed until it brought forth the reality God desired on our behalf.

Seeing a prophecy fulfilled is actually not just about prayer either—it involves action. If I receive a word about becoming a business owner, (and we assume for the sake of this example that it was an accurate prophecy), what happens if all I do is sit there and wait for a business to drop in my lap? I suppose I could inherit it somehow, but if none of my family are business owners then that isn’t a likely outcome. Rather, God is inviting me to come walk with Him on the matter; to join Him in the pursuit. I need to take practical steps to set up the business–coming up with a plan and carrying it out, but all within the context of praying it into existence and continuing to seek God’s wisdom, favor, and blessing as I set out to do what He has given me to do.

The conditional nature of prophesy is only a hindrance to those who don’t understand it—but once we grasp that God is actually wanting to partner with us it becomes more meaningful, and more real. What prophetic words have you received in the past that you are still waiting to come to pass? How can you pray, joining your faith with God’s will for you? What physical actions can you take to work toward that which you seek? Continue to ask, seek, and knock, because as Matthew 7:8 says, “For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” Grace and peace to you as you engage the will of the Lord!

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Why I Find The Courts of Heaven Teaching Annoying

The latest and greatest fad in Charismatic Christianity is something called The Courts of Heaven. The craze seems to have started off largely from some teachings by a man named Robert Henderson who has written a book on the subject. While he cannot solely be credited with the topic, he is a known proponent of the subject and a vocal supporter. There are a growing number of other ministers who teach and mentor on this subject, a few of the more notable ones being Mike Parsons and Ian Clayton. While I have given this subject some time and attention in the past, it is no longer something I am willing to pursue with any depth at this point–mainly because I find the Courts of Heaven teaching annoying.

For those who are unfamiliar with this concept, it basically involves going in the spirit to a heavenly courtroom, presenting one’s case before the heavenly judge (who may be God, an angel, an Elder, or other nondescript heavenly being depending on the situation), letting Satan accuse you, getting Jesus to overthrow the accusation, and then getting a ruling from heaven in one’s favor. The essence of this is as a new method of spiritual warfare that doesn’t take place on a battlefield, but is a bit more of a genteel way to do war through the spiritual legal system of the universe. Some people find this as having no scriptural basis, but if you actually sit down and go through the teachings, at least the ones I have heard are somewhat well-reasoned, scripturally backed, and seem pretty sensible. So what’s so bothersome about it?

Honestly, what I think bothers me is the intense faddishness with which the teaching has garnered in the past few years. Entire ministries are blooming overnight with the express purpose of teaching what essentially is just a new visualization of old methods of prayer. In reality there is nothing inherently wrong with ministries being centered around this, as if we are honest, all ministries are centered around some aspect or aspects of the Christian faith–no one could possibly cover them all. What I find frustrating about the fad is mostly the attitudes and the language.

There are entire new sets of verbiage that people in these groups (many of whom I am close friends with) use that are really just new terms to describe some of the same things we have been doing and saying for years. “If it is in your scroll” is just another way of saying “If it’s your destiny, or fate, or whatever” or “If God wills it.” It’s just as fatalistic but with a verbal twist. Sitting on a “bench” is something one does with their bottom. Giving a special name to some spiritual legislative body should at LEAST have some imagination to it–is “Bench” the best we can do? Why not call it the Galactic Council of the Seventeen Elders of the Great Key or the Great Gate of the Firewind Saints, or legislating on the Elemental Council of the Fifth Spire. Oh, wait–some of the names of the various heavenly courtrooms I have heard of are nearly as creative–and outlandish. And when I or someone else shares a prayer request, the increasingly common recommendation is “I think you need to do some court-work.” What does that even mean???

While I am poking a bit of fun at the terminology, I don’t actually disagree with the overall concept that there are spiritual legislative bodies over creation with varying levels of authority. I think the idea is valuable, but the faddishness needs to go out the window.

One of the things I have heard pointed out about this teaching is that it fosters elitism. I have personally witnessed a bit of this in some of the leaders teaching it, but I personally haven’t encountered the “only a few people are special enough to do this” that others have. I will say that there are some teachings that have to do with WHICH courts people are allowed to go in, having to do with their maturity level and level of authority in the spirit and such, and that doesn’t entirely rub me the wrong way, although it doesn’t quite sit right either. While I don’t see anything direct in scripture that states as much, there are a number of places in the Bible where it discusses the difference between mature and immature children of God and the resulting authority afforded them, so I can at least see some scriptural precedent that it could be possible. On the other hand, this elitism hides, as a friend pointed out, under the guise of “well, you need to do it THIS way”. The need for strict adherence to a particular methodology is some of what is so problematic about this teaching–because theoretically if one does it wrong, one could bring judgment upon him/herself from the very same courts that are supposedly designed to bring freedom to them and are (in theory) stacked in their favor.

The other thing I find problematic about the Courts of Heaven teaching is positional–when I am in the spirit I operate from my authority and decree things to get accomplished in the earth so they will be established, not beg God in a spiritual courtroom to do some legalese so I can have things he already accomplished. When I go into the heavens, I almost have to work at it to put myself in a subservient position instead of finding myself sitting AS the judge who is doing the legislating. After all, the Bible says that we are going to judge angels (1 Corinthians 6:3), not be judged by them. My main concern, outside the faddishness, is the issue that when I ask God for permission to do stuff instead of walking in the “all authority on heaven and earth has been given . . . therefore go” (Matthew 28:18-19) then I’m not, in my opinion, walking in maturity.

Now that I have told you why I find the Courts of Heaven teaching annoying, let me bring a little balance, as I don’t believe in throwing the baby out with the bathwater. As stated before, I think there is actually a decent enough amount of scriptural principles behind it to make it at least as valuable a “thing” as the various prayer-methods that have existed prior to now. I have used it and will continue to do so to some limited extent. It is a method that works great for some, and some of those for whom who it works well and who are beginning to teach and train others to do the same are actually good friends of mine. I respect them greatly and I am well acquainted with their hearts, which are fervently after God’s. They know how to hear and be led by Holy Spirit, and I believe quite strongly they are doing just that.

I personally see this as more of a method than it is the “new life-altering transformative revelation” that it is essentially being touted by some (not in those exact words), and it’s a method that works great for some people. I find it annoying that the new “thing” comes with obnoxious super-spiritual and elitist cliquish language, but again, if it is a method working for people, then language issues aside, that’s actually a very good thing. I actually think that a lot of this court-stuff is so subjective yet with sufficient scriptural backing that even the galactic councils and such could well be true, but it’s simply not the focus to which I have been called in this hour. I hopped “on the bandwagon” a number of years ago before it really WAS a bandwagon, and eventually hopped back off after I got what I needed from it. I don’t have any draw from the Lord to continue to participate any more than I already do, but that’s just me, and may not be where the Lord is leading you.

My underlying issue with the Courts of Heaven teaching isn’t actually about the teachings for the most part. While I personally take some of the things these teachers say with a pound or two of salt (as should anyone who is listening to someone teach largely out of personal revelation), that doesn’t necessarily make the teachings untrue, nor does it mean there aren’t valuable things to learn from them. At the end of the day the teaching itself is probably more or less fine–it’s a maturity issue.

Maturity is, unfortunately, the sort of thing that one gains over time. This fad, movement, whatever one wants to call it, is simply too young to have garnered enough maturity, in my mind, and so what stick out to me like a sore thumb is the immaturity in the mix. As I mentioned before, the lingo is irritating but it’s largely how the lingo is used in context of conversations and relationships, not just the actual words themselves. At the rate we are going, I perceive that a sufficient level of “maturity” won’t be brought to this particular movement for another two to four years, and until then we are left with whatever it is that we’re seeing now, which is a mixture of legalism and revelation in many cases. And in reality, as bothersome as I find it, that’s actually okay. Absolutely no new revelation came without pioneers paving the way, and while I can recognize that I am not interested in pioneering this particular method of prayer, I support the efforts of others who are doing so–I just don’t want to be deeply involved in their process. Maybe that’s immature of me and maybe it’s not, but I have other things to pioneer that I find more pressing. That said, maybe this IS what you are meant to discover and reveal–and if that’s the case, the go for it with all you’ve got regardless of people like me who don’t like the imperfection.

At the end of the day I ultimately think that people are free to use this method or not, and whichever works for them, great. I have no desire (nor spiritual leading) to join a “bench”, but as a friend recently pointed out, he and I have mutual friends (and good ones, at that) who both have desire AND spiritual leading to do just that–and one close friend in particular recently published a book on the subject. If you have heard about the courts of heaven and are either on board, curious, or completely turned off, my encouragement is this: if you find it enriching, go for it. If you don’t then be free to not worry about it, regardless of what your friends and family may say. Whether you do or don’t, be free. After all, wasn’t that what Jesus came for–to set captives free? If you currently engage this teaching and it is creating bondage in your life, then get out. If it is creating freedom, then stay the course. Yet again (unsurprisingly) this Courts of Heaven thing, as with everything else in our Christian journey, comes down to being led by the Spirit. Again, whether you do or don’t do, be free. Blessings!

For those of you who are curious and interested in learning more on the subject, you can get started with my friend Praying Medic’s book Defeating Your Adversary In The Courts of Heaven.

You can also read Robert Henderson’s book Operating in the Courts of Heaven, although as a fair warning from friends who have read it, they claim it is informative yet extremely repetitive.

Mike Parsons free blog is here and his two-year paid mentoring program is called Engaging God which from what I understand heavily involves the Courts and Heavenly travel, but is not exclusively about it.

Ian Clayton’s site is here

You can join a 2-3 year teaching-thing called The Nest by Grant and Sam Mahoney that is in some way related to this subject as well, but also is not exclusively about it and purportedly is about bringing the Body of Christ to greater spiritual maturity.

I have listened to many of Ian’s teachings and find them as much of a mixed bag as the rest of this subject, although he does not exclusively deal with court-related things either. As I have not actually read Praying Medic’s or Henderson’s books, nor have I participated in either Mike Parson’s nor the Mahoney’s training programs I am not specifically endorsing any of the above resources, but am making those connections available if they are helpful to you.

The Gospel According to Kung Fu Panda 3

I can’t help but continue to be amazed at the way that God weaves the gospel message in Children’s videos. Some of you may recall that I shared in a previous post about how I see the Gospel of the Kingdom displayed in Shrek 2 (here) but I found the same thing happening as I watched Kung Fu Panda 3 recently with my granddaughter Sophia. As with the last movie, I found myself in tears as I watched a cartoon panda and his friends and family demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ in a powerful way (For those who haven’t seen the movie, this is the major scene at the end, so this article will be chock-full of spoilers).

The clip starts out with Po, the Dragon Warrior (panda) having just come to terms with the fact he can’t stop the enemy by conventional means, and if he doesn’t do something drastic he and his family and friends will all die. He does the only thing left that he knows how to do—he sacrifices his own life to banish the evil warrior Kai to the Spirit Realm alongside him. He is successful, but dies in the process. This is such a clear picture of what Jesus did for us on the cross. Colossians 2:13-15 says it this way, “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” Knowing that the requirements of the Law of sin and death were set against us, and knowing that Satan would stop at nothing to bring the full payment of sin into our lives, He willingly laid his own life down on the cross, destroying Satan’s legal right to our lives and taking captive the power of death.

In the movie, Po defeats Kai in the Spirit Realm, also setting free everyone else that Kai had captured and killed, then resurrects himself and returns to the land of the living. Scripturally, Jesus did the same thing. After defeating the powers of darkness, even preaching to those who were already dead and setting them free (1 Peter 3:18-20) he rose again three days later. Jesus said of himself in John 10:17-18 that, “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” Jesus, like Po, laid his own life down and returned to life of his own accord, having destroyed the powers of darkness that were set against those he loves (The clip cuts out just before showing this scene, but it is found in the movie).

This is such a touching picture of the immense love that Jesus has for us, but if you watch the clip below you will discover yet another spiritual message—that of intercession. While we can all understand and agree that Jesus didn’t need our intercession to die and rise again, the above verses saying that he had the ability to do it himself, starting at 1:05 the clip shows us the power of intercession, and what happens when we come together as the Body of Christ in prayer. 2 Corinthians 10:4 says, “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” Our prayers are powerful and destroy works of darkness. As we come together and command God’s Kingdom and will to be done on earth as it is already being done in heaven, we release a spiritual power that changes things and sets the captives free. I encourage you to take a few minutes to watch the clip below and let Holy Spirit quicken these messages in your hearts as you watch Jesus speak His Gospel of life directly to our children in Kung Fu Panda 3.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXBS4K4oSsE

Author’s Note: The clip was edited in a few parts leaving the scenes slightly choppy. The entire DVD can be watched online or ordered at the following links: Watch Order

The Gospel According to Dr. Strange

The Gospel According to Shrek 2

A Message from Your Angels

This past September (22-24, 2016) I helped a friend, Dr. Aaron Winter of Hearts of Fire International host the Encounter God conference in Portland, Oregon. The conference was pretty awesome, and many people received a touch from God in a variety of ways. I saw a friend there who I hadn’t seen for a few years, and we talked about angels for a little while. I shared with her some revelation a friend had shared with me a while back that really spoke to me–that angels are drawn to our worship, but it’s partly because they get healed in the glory. Angels love the presence of God, and when they are here on earth they are relatively bound to the same experience of God that we have–which means when we don’t engage God’s glory, they don’t get to either. When we worship, soak, and pray, and engage God’s presence and glory, however, they are able to heal and get empowered to battle and carry out God’s will in the earth.

As I shared with this here, I began to spontaneously cry. I could sense the emotions of the angels around me as I spoke, and I heard in my spirit some of them saying “Share this. Share this message. Tell this story on our behalf–the people need to know.” I didn’t get the feeling that conference was the appropriate forum for that particular message, but I knew in my spirit I needed to write this article, because it is a message from the angels–my angels, your angels.

I once heard someone share a prophetic word during a service (not at this conference) that they sensed angels flying in from miles around to be there and to participate in the glory that was present.

God wants you to empower your angels because YOU are the gate of heaven to earth. You are the convergence point of the glory, and your ministering spirits are connected to the glory that you bring into your life. It is a nice idea to think that angels are constantly connected with God’s glory when they are around us, but in the same way that we can actively experience God’s presence at some times and not at others, angels have the same experience. While they are far more familiar with His glory than we are, they still require spiritual rejuvenation as they carry out assignments on the earth, and we are the solution to that problem.

Angels aren’t just mindless slaves that God sends out to do His bidding. They are created beings who have knowledge, reason, and will. They have no sin and are fully obedient to God, but they have different personalities, appearances, strengths, and weaknesses. When they are attacked by demons, they get hurt and they feel pain. This isn’t just some imaginary happening–angels deal daily with the demonic forces set against our lives, and while they may not be plagued by demons when in God’s presence in heaven, the same cannot be said of their time spent here.

Please keep in mind that your angels are sent to partner with you–they need your help. If you feel open to it, choose to take a few minutes, or longer if necessary, to connect with some of your angels–your guardian angel at the very least. Ask him or her what they find most difficult about watching over you, and how you can help them do their job better. I think you will be surprised at what you discover, and if you heed their advice, you may find things going just a little more smoothly in your life in the coming days.

The Gospel According to Shrek 2

My grandkids had Shrek 2 playing the other night, and while I don’t like to re-watch movies much, I sat down with them for a bit to watch, and **spoiler alert** the part playing was toward the end where Fiona and Prince Jerkface (aka Prince Charming) were dancing . Shrek is getting ready to rescue Fiona from the evil fairy godmother, and as I watched, I couldn’t help as tears streamed down my face.

The first few seconds I didn’t understand why I was crying, but as I watched it quickly became clear–This section of the movie is filled with love demonstrated by heroic sacrifice. From Mongo the Giant Gingerbread to Puss in Boots putting themselves at mortal risk (and one of them dying) to stop the soldiers and give Shrek time to rescue his wife to Shrek himself and how he went to any and every length to save his bride, Holy Spirit was nudging my heart that Shrek is a picture of Jesus.

Jesus, like Shrek, wasn’t the best looking, as it says in Isaiah 53:2, “He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.” Shrek didn’t have good looks, and even when turned into a human he was plain at best. He didn’t make himself attractive so we would want him because of his physical beauty, but because of his love.

On the other hand, Satan, like Prince Charming, was the picture of beauty. “You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: carnelian, chrysolite and emerald, topaz, onyx and jasper, lapis lazuli, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared. You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you” (Ezekiel 28:12b-15).

Prince Charming was just that–a charmer. He was all about appearance, power, and selfishness, laying down nothing of himself but expecting others to fall at his feet. Shrek wasn’t willing to let his wife be taken away by this wolf in sheep’s clothing, fighting his way into a castle to save her.

It might seem silly, but there is something so incredibly moving about the scene when you watch him and his loyal friends surmount every obstacle to reach their goal. It is amazing to me how God weaves the gospel message in and through everyday life, and how something as simple as a children’s movie, one that includes magic potions and fairy spells—things that usually don’t strike us as “godly”, demonstrates so clearly the great love that Jesus has for us, and that he stopped at nothing, laying down his own life to unite with us once again.

Watch below and be touched by God’s immense love for you.