I Love You…BUT

I Love You…BUT

I Love you…BUT

The English language is one that has been brutalized by the very people who must speak and understand it. It is a reflection of what has taken place in our school system during the past two to three generations.

The word “but” has a very simple job to do. Grammaticlly it negates everything that is mentioned before it. As a result, we can contradict ourselves repeatedly in one sentence or when referring to one topic at the same time. Consequently a paragraph can become quite confusing to one not educated in the system of grammar. I have mistakenly used many words out of my personal understanding…and not according to the system of grammar.

When the sentence or statement is read or spoken: I love you, BUT…grammatically you are saying that you DO NOT LOVE THEM. This may not be your intention, but it is the result of the statement.

When the statement, I love you BUT I do not TRUST you, is made the truth of the words spoken grammatically is “I do not trust you.” Love is not carried into the thought of “I do not trust you.”

A clearer and more precise way to get your point across would be: I love you. Your actions, at this time, make it difficult for me to trust your behavior as becoming an individual who acts with integrity. If you desire to continue to grow in righteous living, I can help you learn what that is and how to function with such character. Whether or not you are ready for such instruction, I want you to know that because I love you and value you as our Heavenly Father values you, I will continue to keep you before His Throne so that your destiny can be fulfilled.

If you are dealing with someone whose behavior tends to be that of rage or uncontrolled anger, you may make the same statement, including the phrase that “at this time, your uncontrolled anger causes me to not feel or experience safety around you. Your walk with God and our relationship is important to me. However, we must limit the boundaries of this relationship until there is a change in your heart so that my family and I (or church) can experience a safe environment once more. I am willing to suggest a place where you may receive counseling for this problem.

These are suggested wordings so that people are never left believing they are left outside of the Love of God even when their behavior requires a change.

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Four Winds of God for America

Four Winds of God for America

FOUR WINDS OF GOD DECLARATION FOR AMERICA

The following is a declaration I have put together from Ezekiel 37:1-27 to help us in praying for our country. If you are reading this and are from a different country, this principle will work for you as well. This outline has been used in various situations for years, including bringing healing. This is not an etched-in-stone prayer. It is simply a guideline to help. You may change it anyway to suit your need. The methods can always change…the word of God does not change.

Verse 4 … ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.’

Verse 5 “Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones, ‘Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life.

Verse 6 ‘And I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin, and put breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am the LORD.'”

AMERICA, hear the word of the Lord! Hear what I, the Lord am saying. The Lord will cause life to come back into AMERICA that we may return to a holy and productive life. AMERICA will acknowledge and display Christ’s Lordship in all that we are and do.

Verse 9 Then He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they come to life.”‘”

• Come from the four winds, Life of God.

• Come forth judgments and decisions of God concerning our life, our church, our nation (east wind). We repent of having walked contrary to your laws. Judge us with kindness according to your mercy.

• Come forth presence of God (north wind). Make yourself known to AMERICA. We honor and respect you as Almighty God. We acknowledge your might and our inability to live without you.

• Come forth provision of God (south wind). We thank you for your faithfulness, your mercy, your covenant, your kindness, longsuffering, and abundance in goodness and truth. This is the provision that gives a solid and prosperous life.

• Come forth deliverance (west wind) of God that AMERICA may be free of hopelessness. Remove our shackles of selfishness. We commit to walking as Jesus did.

Verse 11 Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope has perished. We are completely cut off.’

Verse 12 “Therefore prophesy, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, My people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel.

Verse 13 “Then you will know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, My people.

Verse 14 “And I will put My Spirit within you, and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken and done it,” declares the LORD.'”

We are a nation which belongs to God. We were without hope. We are ready to come out of our graves. Restore vision for our families, the body of Christ and our nation. Restore revelation knowledge and buried gifts. Restore all that is necessary for us to rule and reign in the Kingdom of God. We acknowledge that only you, Lord, can restore life to us.

Verse 21 “And say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land;

Verse 22 and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king will be king for all of them; and they will no longer be two nations, and they will no longer be divided into two kingdoms.

Verse 23 “And they will no longer defile themselves with their idols, or with their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions; but I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. And they will be My people, and I will be their God.

Cause us to become a united body of the Lord and a united nation under God. Cleanse our churches, our families, our communities, and our government throughout the nation. Strengthen the body of Christ and equip us to rule in your Kingdom.

Verse 27 “My dwelling place also will be with them; and I will be their God, and they will be My people.

Verse 28 “And the nations will know that I am the LORD who sanctifies Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forever.”‘”

We acknowledge the Lord as our shepherd. We commit to obeying Him in all that He says. We allow God to rule in our personal Kingdom so that we can rule effectively and productively in the Kingdom of God.

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When Agape is Turned Inward

When Agape is Turned Inward

LUST IS AGAPE TURNED INWARD

We have erroneously been taught that we are to love God first, then ourselves and lastly, others. The scriptures read in such a way that this implication may be there, but it is not. We so desperately want what we want…and we want it as quickly as we can get it, before anyone else sucks up what we think brings life to us.

Selfishness is being full of ourselves…and nothing else. Everything in life (and hopefully in heaven) points to me, me, me. The existence of everyone is only for our benefit. Even the way we approach people, avoiding conflict and confrontation is the protection of ourselves; not love for someone else. Fear is birthed out of protecting ourselves. Why chance leaving our protection to God? He may not do it the way we think He should.

We must be honest with ourselves concerning the truth concerning God and His Love versus our love. Even though we misread the concept about loving our neighbor as ourself, the thought should present a selfless love. Yet our demonstration of love toward our neighbor is based upon their reception of our demonstration, or something else we can get out of it which is beneficial to us. It may just be the “good feeling” of having helped someone. The irony of it all is the thought that when others bring pain to us, the statement may be made that we love them but do not like or trust them anymore. We forgive them but forget them.

While the trust factor and such may be a reality in our life, the motivation behind this has more to do with not wanting to interact with an individual in an effort to avoid us pain…not to bring them any love. In all honesty, few people that are loved by us in this way rarely receive prayers and intercession flooded with our undying love for them. Rather it is an execution of prayers that will cause them to get right before God while we gleefully watch the process.

Brothers and sisters: This is not Agape, as described in scripture. It is love de-scribed by the carnal nature of man. We do not like the word “lust”…and we often associate it with inappropriate behavior, but lust is agape turned inward. It has to do with what we want and not what others want or need.

I will never forget the wonderful outpouring of humanity towards the victims of Hurricane Keatrina. I am more familiar with it because it happened in my region. Churches opened their doors to all people, regardless of race or creed.

However, as the cleanup began, churches did not want to continue in any level of relationship with these people who did not fit into their doctrinal or racial category. They were not interested in them attending their churches or living in their neighborhood. What was sold as Agape was really lust…a display of humanity, not godliness.

We see this selfishness displayed throughout our homes, our neighborhoods, and sadly, in our ministries. Even as we watch the sudden overturning of the change of terms, Kingdom now takes center stage as a badge to prove we are on the same page of the FAD; however, not on the same page with God.

There is absolutely no way to give our entire self to God and love ourself out-side of complete love for Him. Our wants, our desires and even what we consider our needs are irrelevant. The scripture says that unless we are willing to lay our life down, we cannot be His disciple. Yet our doctrine has changed to fulfilling all the lusts that keep us happy, comfortable and our needs met. We then give an occasional tip to God reminding Him we still exist. We also thank Him for those favors He has sent our way…and look for the next time He will meet our wants. We have the audacity to call this prosperity. It is the lowest level of poverty that exists.

We praise and worship God when all is going according to the desires of our flesh, yet curse Him when things are not going so well.

It is in this season that we must be honest concerning revival and our desire for it. Is it a selfish desire that will expedite the return of comfort and convenience rather than the laboring of entering Father’s rest to see His word expanding the Kingdom? Face it! Authentic intercession and selflessly loving His people is hard work…and the results take years…not days.

Revival will not solve our problems. Learning Agape and being completely yielded to Father will. In an authentic walk with God, who is Love, requires losing the right to ourselves! (Matthew 12:29-34)

(Jesus Christ is always unyielding to my claim to my right to myself. – Oswald Chambers)

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