2 Chronicles 20:20 NJKV
“So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.”
While being baptized (born again of water) is an absolute must for those who want to go to heaven, without also being baptized with Holy Spirit, as a dear friend has said, "all you did was take a bath." Thank you, Lindsey. Now, I can't speak on anyone else's life, except my own, but I can share, do share, and will continue to share the truth of Jesus Christ: 5 “Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. 6“That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit (John 3:5-6 ESV).” Jesus did not sugarcoat His message and as I share with you my relationship with Jesus, I will also not sugarcoat the experiences I have had to make me out to be someone I am not. What I am, is a flawed woman who is saved only because of the grace of God.
I was baptized in water at my local church when I was fifteen years old. At that time, however, my heart was not quite ready to fully receive all the promises of God with reference to baptism. To be honest, I don’t recall understanding what it truly meant at that time to be baptized. Because of this lack of understanding, I lived my life in all sorts of ways that I am sure were not pleasing to God In 2018, I was suddenly plucked from it. Looking back, that's when things really began to change. Let’s revisit some years… In 2012...
after relocating to New York City for college in late 2011, I found myself in a few relationships I had no business being in. I was maybe nineteen or twenty years old. A family friend invited me to church and there was a man who claimed to be a prophet. I say claimed not because he wasn't real, but because I have no proof that he was real because of how I understand familiar spirits to work today. Anyways, I'd heard of prophets before but hadn't ever to my knowledge encountered one. At that time, what I knew of a prophet was very little. I thought they just predicted the future.
I'm not sure where my heart was at this time, but I respectfully stood up when I needed to during this service and did actions in line with worship. Was this genuine? I can't recall. Y’all, when I’d first selected my seat, it was not towards the front—a part of me did not want to be called on, but a part of me did. A great deal was changing in my life at this time and I was eager to have answers and direction. After a while, this man pointed me out and called me to him. I was up front to receive whatever he would tell me. I don’t recall his exact wording, but I do remember him saying that I had to stop what I was doing or else I would die. He also gestured towards my body how I would die. When he told me to stop what I was doing, I knew exactly what he meant. I'm not sure how I knew, but I knew. I began to cry because the way He described my death, resonated with me as truth. The man I was having relations with at the time planned to take me out and we would be in his vehicle. If not for this warning, I was to be decapitated in that vehicle. This planned outing was for the following Thursday night. Imagine knowing you had one week to live if you did not properly respond to the Word of the Lord. As far away from God as I was then, I feared Him enough to not even try to get in that vehicle. As I sobbed back to my seat and sat down, I took out my phone, deleted all of their numbers, then any other contacts for them I had, and did not look back. Again, I now know who I am—a woman who only by the grace of God is alive to share this with you all today, in hopes that you will also choose Jesus, the ONLY Way to the Father (John 14:6).
Now, I know me sharing that I would have died by decapitation may have been a bit graphic for some, but as you read this, may you believe that God's every intention for you is good, even when He has to warn you. However, when we choose to step out of His will, do not think for a second that He won't allow you to be taken out, if not take you out Himself (Uzzah [2 Samuel 6:7]; the man of God who was mauled by the lion [1 Kings 13:26]). This side of God that people refuse to accept is also very real. Therefore, here is another truth: His love as well as His judgements, are both a part of His Word. There is a false gospel of "love" that misses the correction and discipline of the Good Father. What this prophetic Word did was scare me into not testing God. I was not ready to die, nor did I want to die in sin and end up in hell. I may have been living a life that rejected God, but I knew hell to be very real. In 2013...
I was once again in a church. This time, it was a traditional (not so traditional) Sunday service. Not so traditional in the sense that this church was accepting of prophesy and flowing in it. This was not something that was common to me because I was raised in the Baptist Church. The man of the house called my family up, gave each of us a prophecy, and when he prophesied to me, he said something would happen on Wednesday. I'd experienced the power of a prophetic Word to direct me before, so this time I was more inclined to receive this Word, although I had no idea what it meant. Two days later, Tuesday, I spoke to my grandpa on the phone. He was battling stage IV lung cancer. We'd talked about the box I'd packed him and that it was on its way and with much excitement to speak to him again, we said goodbye after this conversation. The following day, my family and I were home in Pennsylvania and in the late afternoon, I get a phone call saying my grandfather had collapsed in our Florida home. At this point, frantic, we scrambled to pack because my aunt was determined to get down to Florida. As I was packing my things, I reminded her of the prophetic Word given to me just a few days prior. I asked her: "what day is it today?" It then also clicked to her what I was referring to. We all hopped into the car and began to drive. We'd barely made it out of Pennsylvania at this time when while on the phone with my best friend, she told me, "he didn't make it."
This was one of the toughest times in my life. Due to not understanding how to seek God, I knew I believed something would indeed happen as the man of that house said, I just didn't know what. The day I saw my grandpa placed in his grave, a gut-wrenching wail came from somewhere in me I did not even recognize. My knees gave way, my father caught me, and what left my mouth was: “I didn’t even get to say goodbye.” Reflecting on the events of this time in my life, it was the mercy of God that allowed me to hear my grandfather’s happy and expectant voice one last time. As I type this exact line, I am crying. Not because my grandfather died so suddenly, but because God cared enough for my heart even when I was not in right standing with Him, to prepare it for the devastation of losing someone I loved so dearly. In 2019...
(you guessed it!) when I was in a church I was visiting, I received a prophetic Word, I believed it, and I experienced it come to pass. So, when this particular woman at this house (I have written this, this way to protect her identity, not to disrespect her position at all) told me on another visit to "sow" I looked at her confused. Now, just because a person was right about something before, does not mean I will believe you about everything. I believe God’s warning to test every spirit to know whether or not they come from Him is not just in the Bible to take up space, but a powerful weapon against being deceived by the agents of satan (Acts 16:16-21). There have also been times when I have been the kind of person who absolutely needed to see the truth before I would ever believe. God also knows this about you if you happen to be this way. Upon seeing my facial expression, she clarifies and says, "I don't mean here." I knew then exactly what she was referring to.
At this time, I was no longer listening to secular radio stations. The only station ever on in any vehicle I am personally driving is K-Love. I heard them doing a fundraiser and asked God if this is where I should donate my money (His money). So, this woman's prophetic Word to me, was God validating He had heard me and He approved. As soon I was able to begin that donation process, I did. It is now 2021 and that is still continuing. The songs I hear on K-Love are ones my spirit sings while I am asleep. I have often woken up and somehow hear myself singing. This is not something I can explain, it just is. These songs heard on K-Love have lifted me up and keep me up. The angels in heaven repeat, “holy, holy, holy…(Revelation 4:8)” Isn’t it beautiful to know that when we truly praise and worship God we are among great company and in His presence (Psalm 22:3)?
These lyrics are positive and they feed me good things as opposed to what secular music would have us believe are "good things" in the lyrics penned for their songs. They aren't good. This isn't judgement. Have you ever tried to get over someone you needed to break up with anyways, and think listening to a secular love song would help, and it does the exact opposite? They are intentionally created this way by the enemy to oppress you (longer story). It is only as I am typing this post that I am reflecting on how long God has been trying to get my attention. Wow. It is dangerous to call oneself a Christian while actually you're lost, yet don't know it. We can convince ourselves of anything when we want to do what we want to do. This is a major part of the problem, rebellion. May you experience all the ways in which God communicates to you and return to Him with your whole heart, in Jesus' name. Even if you come in tears, His Word says, a broken heart and a contrite spirit He will not despise (Psalm 51:17). May you believe God so He may establish you, and may you believe His prophets so you will prosper (2 Chronicles 20:20). In Jesus’ name. Amen.
I challenge you to:
1) Seek God for yourself
2) Test every spirit before you believe and end up worse off than before
3) What fruit do those who say they believe produce—good or bad?
How?
1) Get to know Who God is through His Word, the Bible. God will help you to get to know Him, but you must read His Word. John 1:1 says, He is His Word. When you pray, be honest with Him about what you want to happen between you and Him. I often tell God I want to know Him more. As simple as this request is, I know God has heard me and has answered. He will hear this request from you.
2) Do they behave like Jesus? You must read your Bibles to know how Jesus behaved/behaves. Do they agree that Jesus Christ, born of an earthly mother, yet no earthly father, is the only Son of God? Has Jesus Christ come in the flesh (1 John 4:2)?
3) The fruit of the Holy Spirit is mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23. The fruit is: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. It ends by stating: “Against such things there is no law (NIV).” In other words, there is no limit on how much we can give or receive the fruit of the Spirit.
Even if they struggle (as we all do) do the people who say they believe in Jesus Christ try to work with God to grow into these character traits of Jesus? If not, RUN. It is YOUR salvation on the line, not anyone else’s or how they will FEEL. Please remember that feelings are from our souls (mind, will, emotions). Also remember Jeremiah 17:9 KJV which says: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Though we may believe we have the purest of intentions, we are not God and therefore, not perfect.