purpose

You never have to TRY to prophesy

Beware any ‘prophetic’ movement which encourages you to ‘try’ to prophesy, or to ‘exercise the prophetic muscle.’ There was NEVER any prophet in scripture who was in right standing with God who ever needed to TRY or exercise in prophecy. Either the Word of the Lord came to them, or it did not.The basis for all REAL prophecy is not only that GOD has revealed something to someone, but that he has directed them to disclose what he revealed. (Deut 18:20). Nowhere in Scripture does any holy prophet of God draw on any source other than God for inspiration.Some will say God told Jeremiah ‘What do you see?’ God said that because he was showing Jeremiah something. When Daniel interpreted dreams or the writing on the wall, he interpreted messages which came from God, and relied ONLY on God for inspiration.When a priest would inquire of the Lord and the Urim and Thummim were used, they were never a source of inspiration, but merely a means by which God answered ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ They inquired of the LORD. The only incidents in scripture in which people used objects or images to inspire them with regard to their spiritual life are ALWAYS incidents involving idolatry, witchcraft, and false prophetic utterance.Call this ‘book smarts’ if you want, there are no idle details in the word of God, and the Holy Spirit inspired its authorship. Therefore, any patterns and paradigms therein are present with a purpose, and not to be disregarded. If it was the Holy Spirit who inspired these very specific things to be written, the Holy Spirit would not be ‘leading’ people into ‘prophetic’ practices which are contrary to the proclamations, prohibitions,prescriptions, patterns, and paradigms of HIS book.Many are being drawn into this deception, and are inevitably snared by the new age witchcraft which has become so common in charismatic circles today. Brethren, please pray for eyes to be opened… this deception runs far deeper in the church world than you may suspect.

in Blog / Prophetic Updates  by sam 0 comments

A word on your future success

As I prepare to sell my house and move on with my life, I’ve been making plans. Plans for life, business, and ministry have all been on my mind, and the Lord had me thinking of the details necessary to achieve my mission.

As I pondered all of this, another thought crossed my mind: many of us want to prosper financially but have no real vision for what we’d do if we did.

Yes, God blessed Israel when He brought them into what preachers like to call the land of more than enough, but did you notice that what He blessed them with was production capacity? That’s right, they still had to put that land to work. They still had to decide what they were going to do with all that capacity.

Before God brought them there, He walked them through a long season of preparation for it, and when they got there, they had to fight for it. We are walking through a very difficult time.

  • What are you doing with it to ensure you are surrendering to God’s process?
  • What are you doing with what God has already given you?
  • What are your plans for when He does give you what you’re asking for, and are those plans right in His sight?

The answers to those questions will reveal a great deal.

in Blog / Faith / Financial / Life / Prophetic Updates  by sam 0 comments

Are we really walking in victory?

Many times we speak of walking in victory, and we give this many meanings, some, maybe most of which, are meaningful and pertinent to our faith journey. However, in the greater context of our life’s purpose — the real reason we even exist– the truth is that many of us have not experienced victory at all. Here’s why.
Imagine, for a moment, a battalion of soldiers. They’re trained, armed to the teeth, and ready to rumble. They have a good supply line, air support, and plenty of ammo. However, there’s just one little problem: they have no idea who they’re supposed to fight, where to fight, or even what the overall mission objective is.
Even the thought of such a thing seems absurd, doesn’t it?
Yet all too often we find ourselves mostly wandering without a whole lot of direction, and so many of us have no clear idea of what our life’s mission really is. The Barna Group found that 90% of professed born-again Christians admit that they are either carnal or a babe in Christ. Now, we know from Romans 8 that to be carnal is to be enemies with God, and therefore of little to no use in the great fight of the faith, and who in their right mind would trust a baby to get anything important done?
If we don’t know what the mission is, how can we accomplish it?
If we are not engaged in and fulfilling our mission, are we really winning our part of the spiritual war of the faith? The answer is a rather obvious ‘No.’
Therefore, long-term victory requires us to know our mission, prepare for it, and engage in it with the aim of completing it. Now, this isn’t a condemnation, but rather an observation which hopes to awaken the saints to the reality that perhaps we ought to be more interested in the specifics of our purpose here.
What is YOUR mission?
WHO has God called you to, and where?
Why does it matter?
If you can’t answer these questions, don’t beat yourself up about it. Understand that now you have some specific direction for your prayer life and study of the Word for the next little while.
I challenge you to start seeking God about these questions.
He has answers waiting for you.
in Blog / Doctrine / Faith  by sam 0 comments

Your Destiny has a DESIGN

Every destiny has a design.

 
God has an intended purpose for your life, and He intended for it to be carried out in such a way as to grow you into the Kingdom identity He has had for you since the foundation of the world.
 
Knowing this, are your present intentions and decisions conducive to God’s design?
 
Do you even know what that design is?
 
It would be really hard to build a Lamborghini using Chevy blueprints. Even harder without the right tools.
 
Now, some of you may say that you know what a Lamborghini looks like. You may even know some of its specs, its styling, and other details, but the truth is, you probably don’t know enough of its engineering off-hand to be able to build one.
 
Driving one is yet another matter. 700+ horsepower cannot be trifled with.
 
Many of us are doing just that with our lives. We have a vague notion of our calling, but little insight as to how to put it together, and how to handle it once it is together.
 
Do you have the tools you need to build it?
 
Do you have a clear and compelling vision for your life?
 
Can you clearly and quickly communicate that vision in ONE sentence?
 
Do you have a plan for its effective pursuit?
 
If you have to think more than a few seconds to answer any of these questions, you may want to consider the possibility that you need some help from an apostolic and prophetic mentor who sees callings clearly.
 
I am available on a limited basis for such consultation here.
in Blog  by sam 0 comments

Judges 1 – The Pursuit of YOUR Calling


Judges 1 tells us alot about God’s relationship with His people and the pursuit of His calling for your life.

in Blog / Doctrine / Faith / Podcast / Podcast / Prophetic Updates  by sam 0 comments

A word on direction

‘Why do you seek the living among the dead?’
-Luke 24:5
Some of you lack direction because you keep trying to find your destiny in things God appointed to die in your life, while you keep mistaking the dream he resurrected for something common, like a gardener.

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in Life / Prophetic Updates / Restoration Meditations  by sam 0 comments

Prophetic stewardship

“An inheritance gained hastily in the beginning will not be blessed in the end.”
-Proverbs 20:21
In a very real sense, part of the function of a prophet is often as a steward of destiny. We are often entrusted by God with revelation concerning the purpose, plan and promise for His people’s future, and as such, we must take care in how we administer the disclosure of what God has revealed.

One of the most critical errors a prophet can make is to deliver a prophetic word at the wrong time. In fact, a real word from God given at the wrong time can do more damage than a word from the devil. Why? A genuine word will witness to the spirit of the person receiving it, and it can easily result in their acting on that word prematurely, or other errors and sins of presumption that can in turn harm their faith when acting on that word fails to produce the expected results.

God is only ever required to finish what HE started, and so even when dealing with a real word of the Lord, we must be certain that its disclosure occurs as God has directed.

in Leadership / Prophetic Updates  by sam 0 comments

Gratification is not satisfaction

“And the LORD will continually guide you, And satisfy your desire in scorched places, And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.” (Isaiah 58:11)

The flesh craves gratification, while the spirit seeks satisfaction. The difference between the two can be hard to tell when we’re caught up in the day-to-day struggles of life. We get the car, the house, or the spouse we were after, but after a while, when the novelty wears off, many of us find ourselves yearning for more. Why?

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in Leadership / Life / Restoration Meditations / Spiritual growth  by sam 0 comments

Old Testament vs New Testament prophets?

Some will say that the ‘Old Testament’ prophet was more predictive, or that New Testament Prophet is really just in place to confirm things God has already told you. However, the NT prophet isn’t always just in place to confirm. I’ve often told people things they had no clue were going to happen, usually with them insisting I was wrong until it came to pass. John, the writer of Revelation, wrote a whole book of predicting prophecies. The prophecy of Agabus in Acts 21 wasn’t a confirmation to the disciples; the narrative makes it clear that they didn’t know until then that Paul was headed for more trouble than usual at Jerusalem.

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in Leadership / Prophetic Updates / Spiritual growth / Spiritual Warfare  by sam 0 comments

When others don’t get it

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” -Jeremiah 29:11

Not everyone will understand your assignment, and not everyone will appreciate or value what God has placed in you. This should never affect your thinking. As Seneca once said, ‘A giant will retain his stature even though he will have stood in a well.’
Your present circumstance does not indicate your intended end, nor does it define the limits of your ability and purpose. Press on until you encounter those who can receive what you have to offer.

in Restoration Meditations / Spiritual growth  by sam 0 comments

Faith results in action!

For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. – James 2:26

Your daily commitment to the pursuit of what God gave you to do is the work that evidences your faith. Likewise, in both life and business, a genuine belief that you can accomplish your goals is never absent of clear, decisive effort in the direction of those objectives.

in Faith / Leadership / Life  by sam 0 comments

It’s one thing to answer the calling on your life, and another to fulfill it.

Okay, so you’ve found what you really want to do or be in life. How close are you to it?

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in Restoration Meditations / Spiritual growth  by sam 0 comments

A word on patience

Patience is not the ability to wait a long time; it is the ability to wait until the Appointed Time, and the wisdom to be productive until then.

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in Leadership / Life / Restoration Meditations  by sam 0 comments

Real faith, right now

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

–Hebrews 12: 2

Faith is not the ability to believe that God will do some particular thing or answer some particular request, but rather it is the ability to believe that God will always do what is best.

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in Leadership / Life / Prophetic Updates / Restoration Meditations  by sam 0 comments

Never use God’s Sovereignty as an excuse

And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

–Revelation 20: 12-13

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in Leadership / Prophetic Updates  by sam 0 comments

God does NOT clear the guilty

And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. 6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, 7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty ; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’ children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

–Exodus 34: 5-7

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in Leadership / Prophetic Updates / Restoration Meditations  by sam 0 comments

There are no idle details in the Bible

For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:

–Isaiah 28:10

The written Word of God was established as a witness to mankind of God’s purpose, plan, and design, and as such, there is no part of it that is unimportant, trivial, or meaningless. Some may challenge this by reciting some passage or other that may not be readily understood by this or that person, or even passages which seem to merely record lineage, names, and seemingly minor events. However, passages containing family histories can contain some interesting, as well as revealing, facts.

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in Leadership / Restoration Meditations  by sam 0 comments

The Real Power of Circumstance

And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was Jesus Of Nazareth The King Of The Jews. This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin.
Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews. Pilate answered, What I have written I have written.
John 19:19-22

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in Leadership  by sam 0 comments

God will use imperfect people to perfect you.

One reality that the young prophetic minister must accept is that that people are people. Your pastor, bishop, fellow church member, friend, enemy, etc. is just a human being. They will make mistakes, have problems, shortcomings, character flaws, and the like. However, you still have to work on you, and it will often occur that their imperfections, foibles, and misconduct may very well be used by God to work out your own character issues. During all this you’ll need to continually forgive and let go of the little (and big) resentments that can easily defile you.

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in Prophetic Updates  by sam 0 comments

A word on Thrift…

Go to the ant, sluggard; consider her ways and be wise; who having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provides her food in the summer and gathers her food in the harvest. (Proverbs 6:6-8)

Financial tip of the day:

It’s good to remember that ants don’t just plan for their provision, but they are also not wasteful or irresponsible with their resources.

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in Financial / Household Budgeting  by sam 0 comments

A word on Integrity

Now if you walk before Me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and My judgments, then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever, as I promised David your father, saying, ‘You shall not fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.’ (1 Kings 9:4-5)

David had some problems, most notably in regard to the matter of Uriah the Hittite (2 Samuel 11). However, aside from that very notable and consequently destructive misconduct, David had walked in integrity. For the purpose of this writing, it is this we shall focus on. However, before we delve into the matter of personal and ministerial integrity, let us more carefully examine the above passage.

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in Prophetic Updates  by sam 0 comments

Keys to Maturing in the Prophetic

Someone asked me recently for some advice on how to develop in their prophetic gifting, and though I’ve never liked referring to gifts as being ‘developed,’ so much as being revealed, I understood what he meant.

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in Prophetic Updates  by sam 0 comments

Is God on speaker-phone?

speakerGod called you, but your life is on speaker-phone. You answered the call, but you have had so many other things going on that you may have not given it your full attention. Leaders, it is time to end the spiritual multitasking and return to that first love in which God so had your attention that your call was not only revealed, but clarified to the extent that you chose to answer it. So much of what happened in those early years of ministry were in fact only a foretaste, a glimpse of who he intended you to be, and once more the Lord calls, “RETURN TO ME.” It’s time to come higher, to dig deeper, and to at last refuse to settle for anything less than the full extent of the manifestation of your sonship in him.
#GetOnBoard

in Restoration Meditations  by sam 0 comments

Never give up…

Rejection in your call does not invalidate it, but surrendering to rejection will undermine your purpose.

in Restoration Meditations  by sam 0 comments